Pope Francis Who Spoke Up for Rohingya Dies at 88

Arakan Now, April 21, 2025

Pope Francis has died at the age of 88 in a Vatican hospital after battling a long illness, the Holy See confirmed today.

He was widely respected for his moral stance on global human rights—and was one of the few major religious leaders to publicly support the persecuted Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar.

In 2017, amid a brutal military crackdown that forced over 600,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, Pope Francis visited the region.

While in Dhaka, he met with a group of Rohingya refugees and said:

“The presence of God today is also called Rohingya.”

He asked them for forgiveness on behalf of the world and called for international attention and justice.

Though he avoided saying “Rohingya” during his time in Myanmar to protect local Catholics, his actions in Bangladesh were seen as a bold moral statement.