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http://www.dhakatribune.com/banglad...17/07/30/pope-visit-bangladesh-late-november/
Pope to visit Bangladesh in late November
Archbishop of Dhaka Patrick D'Rozario kneels before Pope Francis to pledge allegiance and become cardinal, on November 19, 2016 during a consistory at Peter's basilica. Pope Francis has named 17 new cardinals, 13 of them under age 80 and thus eligible to vote in a conclave to elect his successor AFP
Cardinal D'Rozario says Pope will see church ‘rich in our poverty’
Pope Francis will visit Bangladesh and Myanmar between November 23 and December 8, the archbishop of Dhaka has said.
Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka told the Indian news outlet Crux that Catholics in the country joyfully await the pontiff’s arrival later this year, where he will meet a church marked by a “richness in our poverty.”
The visits are a part of Pope Francis’s campaign to lift up the peripheries of the world, says the Catholic Church.
Cardinal Patrick, who is Bangladesh’s first-ever cardinal, said: “The Church of Bangladesh is joyfully awaiting the Holy Father’s visit.
“The Holy Father comes as a religious leader, as a pilgrim.
Christians account for 0.5% of Bangladesh’s population of 170 million.
“Bangladesh is a Church of the poor, for the poor,” D’Rozario said, while insisting it is “poor in spirit, but there is a richness in our poverty.”
However, he was cautious about confirming Myanmar as the second destination for the pope’s Asia swing, as working out the protocol for the visit is complicated.
The 73-year-old cardinal listed several forms he believes that richness takes.
“There’s a richness in our values, richness in our culture, richness in our religious harmony, richness in our interfaith dialogue, richness in our tradition, and richness in our achievements both political and economic.
“In Bangladesh, we have the richness of dialogue,” D’Rozario said, referring to relations among the majority Muslims as well as Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and others.
In a November 2016 interview with Crux in Rome, D’Rozario said that spirit of dialogue has been growing.
“There was a time when only a few of us would take the initiative to have dialogue with the greater Muslim community, and we were hesitant about how they’d react,” he said.
“Recently what I’ve found is that the greater Muslim community is taking the initiative, and not only that, the government has been taking the initiative.”
Also Read: Bangladesh gets first Catholic cardinal
D’Rozario indicated that there are also elements of Pope Francis’s social and political agenda that will be especially welcome in the south Asian nation, which shares borders with both India and Myanmar.
“The Church in Bangladesh also has struggles because of climate change,” he said, suggesting that the pope’s message of care for creation in his encyclical Laudato’ Si is especially relevant there.
Last week, Indian officials told the AFP that Pope Francis is unlikely to visit the country, home to about 20 million Catholics, due to schedule clashes with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A church official there said the visit may be rescheduled to early 2018.
Pope to visit Bangladesh in late November
- Tribune Desk
- Published at 03:33 PM July 30, 2017
Archbishop of Dhaka Patrick D'Rozario kneels before Pope Francis to pledge allegiance and become cardinal, on November 19, 2016 during a consistory at Peter's basilica. Pope Francis has named 17 new cardinals, 13 of them under age 80 and thus eligible to vote in a conclave to elect his successor AFP
Cardinal D'Rozario says Pope will see church ‘rich in our poverty’
Pope Francis will visit Bangladesh and Myanmar between November 23 and December 8, the archbishop of Dhaka has said.
Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka told the Indian news outlet Crux that Catholics in the country joyfully await the pontiff’s arrival later this year, where he will meet a church marked by a “richness in our poverty.”
The visits are a part of Pope Francis’s campaign to lift up the peripheries of the world, says the Catholic Church.
Cardinal Patrick, who is Bangladesh’s first-ever cardinal, said: “The Church of Bangladesh is joyfully awaiting the Holy Father’s visit.
“The Holy Father comes as a religious leader, as a pilgrim.
Christians account for 0.5% of Bangladesh’s population of 170 million.
“Bangladesh is a Church of the poor, for the poor,” D’Rozario said, while insisting it is “poor in spirit, but there is a richness in our poverty.”
However, he was cautious about confirming Myanmar as the second destination for the pope’s Asia swing, as working out the protocol for the visit is complicated.
The 73-year-old cardinal listed several forms he believes that richness takes.
“There’s a richness in our values, richness in our culture, richness in our religious harmony, richness in our interfaith dialogue, richness in our tradition, and richness in our achievements both political and economic.
“In Bangladesh, we have the richness of dialogue,” D’Rozario said, referring to relations among the majority Muslims as well as Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and others.
In a November 2016 interview with Crux in Rome, D’Rozario said that spirit of dialogue has been growing.
“There was a time when only a few of us would take the initiative to have dialogue with the greater Muslim community, and we were hesitant about how they’d react,” he said.
“Recently what I’ve found is that the greater Muslim community is taking the initiative, and not only that, the government has been taking the initiative.”
Also Read: Bangladesh gets first Catholic cardinal
D’Rozario indicated that there are also elements of Pope Francis’s social and political agenda that will be especially welcome in the south Asian nation, which shares borders with both India and Myanmar.
“The Church in Bangladesh also has struggles because of climate change,” he said, suggesting that the pope’s message of care for creation in his encyclical Laudato’ Si is especially relevant there.
Last week, Indian officials told the AFP that Pope Francis is unlikely to visit the country, home to about 20 million Catholics, due to schedule clashes with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A church official there said the visit may be rescheduled to early 2018.
