Pope demands ‘decisive measures’ to resolve Rohingya exodus

Nicole Winfield, therecord.com

Image from article, with caption: Pope Francis, white figure at centre, pays his respects at the National Martyrs Memorial of Savar, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Thursday. The pontiff is in Bangladesh for the second leg of his six-day trip to Asia. - L'Osservatore Romano,The Associated Press

Excerpt:

Francis, a tireless and fearless advocate for refugees, outcasts and society's most marginal, had drawn criticism from human rights organizations and Rohingya themselves for having failed to speak out publicly about the Rohingya's plight while he was in Myanmar. ...

The Vatican defended Francis's silence in Myanmar, saying he wanted to "build bridges" with the predominantly Buddhist nation, which only recently established diplomatic relations with the Holy See. Spokesperson Greg Burke said Francis took seriously the advice given to him by the local Catholic Church, which urged him to toe a cautious line and not even refer to the Rohingya by name. And he denied the Pope would lose his moral authority as a refugee advocate for his silence, saying his public diplomacy didn't negate what he had said previously or what he was saying to Myanmar officials in private.