Francis will be the first pope to visit Myanmar and the second to visit Bangladesh, where Pope John Paul visited in 1986. A senior Vatican official said military leaders are expected to attend a separate, public meeting where the pope will address politicians and diplomats. On Nov 29, the pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country's highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy. There are about 700,000 Roman Catholics in Myanmar according to the country's cardinal, Charles Maung Bo, out of a population of about 51.4 million. Francis will be the second pope to visit that country, after Pope John Paul in 1986.

Source: bd News24 October 10, 2017 12:33 UTC