ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

By THE IRRAWADDY | Pope Benedict XVI is prepared to visit Burma if he makes an Asian tour, Burmese Archbishop Charles Maung Bo has told the Catholic news service Union of Catholic Asia News (UCA).

UCA said the possibility of a visit had been raised at an audience the archbishop had with the Pope on October 23.

"The Holy Father at once pointed out that I had invited him to Burma during my synod intervention," Archbishop Charles Maung Bo told UCA News, “He would be ready to make a short visit to Myanmar [Burma] if he chooses to visit one of the countries in Asia.”

Some Burmese Christians and ethnic groups said such a visit would be controversial, since the Burmese regime suppressed freedom of religion and enjoyed no moral support from Christian countries.

Nevertheless, a Vatican official told UCA News: "It should be stated clearly that there is no persecution against Christianity or Catholics in Myanmar."

The Burmese regime has also rejected charges that it suppresses Christian churches, and denied a report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), released on January 2007, which accused the government of persecuting Christians.

A Chiang Mai pastor, the Reverend Nawmai, of the city’s Saha Phat Church, said that despite the charges, a visit to Burma by the Pope should be welcomed.

“God taught me ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,’” Rev Nawmai said.

One Christian resident of Thailand said a visit to Burma by the Pope would give moral support to the regime. “He shouldn’t go,” she said.

Burma has 3 million Christians, 700,000 of them Catholics and 6 percent of the population.

Pope Benedict has visited 10 countries since his election in April 2005—six European countries and Turkey, which straddles Europe and Asia, as well as Australia, Brazil and the United States.