The 80-year old pontiff, Pope Francis arrived in the mainly Buddhist Myanmar on Monday on a quite sensitive visit to a country facing enormous universal criticism for alleged ethnic cleansing of its Rohingya Muslim minority.
The pope was massively welcomed on his first papal visit by Catholics in their numbers at Yangon's airport who were full of joy and waved flags.
The visit became imperative as Myanmar's military stand accused of perpetrating what is being described as ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslims in the past three months. The campaign has resulted in more than 620,000 fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh.
The pope is expected to meet with both Aung San Suu Kyi, civilian leader and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, the man accused of overseeing the brutal campaign to drive out the Rohingya.
"I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope," the pope stated while making an address at St Peter's Square witnessed by about 30,000 people.
The army has stressed that its Rakhine operation was an impartial response to Rohingya "terrorists" who were accused of raiding a police posts killing up to a dozen officers in August.
However, Human rights groups like the UN have accused the army of using its operation as cover to drive out a minority that is at odds with views inside the country which the army have oppressed for decades.
Prior to the pope's visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement promising to start repatriating Rohingya refugees in two months.
However, many of the Rohingya refugees, whose homes have been razed to the ground have indicated unwillingness to return out of fear for their safety without any guarantee of the basic rights.
