Speaking alongside Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyitaw on November 28, Pope Francis said there was a need to respect all of Myanmar’s “ethnic groups” – but he refrained from specifically mentioning the Rohingya minority.

The pope said, according to an accompanying translation: “The future of Myanmar must be peace – a peace based on respect for the dignity and rights of each member of society, respect for each ethnic group and its identity, respect for the rule of law, and respect for democratic order that enables each individual, in every group, none excluded, to offer their legitimate contribution to the common good.”

Pope Francis also planned to visit Bangladesh, on November 30, where more than 620,000 Rohingya refugees have fled in recent months, according to the UN. Credit: The Vatican via Storyful