Pope Francis explains why avoided ‘Rohingyas’ in Myanmar

Pope Francis gestures during a news conference on board of a plane during the flight back from a seven-day trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh (Photo: AFP)

Pope Francis ended a diplomatically tricky trip to Asia on Saturday, seeking the forgiveness of Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh after his controversial decision to not directly refer to their plight when he visited their homeland, Myanmar.

On the last day of his three-day visit to Bangladesh, which came after meetings in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, the pope went to a home in Dhaka founded by Mother Teresa for orphans, unwed mothers and destitute elderly.