First Cardinal of Myanmar calls on President Aquino

His Eminence, Charles Maung Cardinal Bo, SDB, from the archdiocese of Yangon, Myanmar, paid a courtesy call on President Benigno S. Aquino III at the Music Room of Malacañang Palace on Monday (Feb. 1).

Cardinal Bo, Myanmar’s first Roman Catholic cardinal, was appointed by Pope Francis as the Papal Legate to the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) held in Cebu City from January 24 to 31.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that during the courtesy call, President Aquino and Cardinal Bo discussed the state visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines last year and the just-concluded IEC.

"During the courtesy call, they spoke about the state visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Philippines, as well as President Aquino’s visit to the Holy See last December—both of which highlight the strength of our bilateral ties.

Also discussed was the successful hosting of the 51st IEC in Cebu, which attracted around 15,000 delegates from all over the world. Held last week, from January 24 to 31, the 51st IEC is the second to be held in the Philippines, with the first one being hosted in Manila in 1937,” Lacierda said.

Cardinal Bo was accompanied by Rev. Fr. Dominic Bar Bu, secretary general of the Archdiocesan Office of Yangon; Rev. Msgr. Chibuke Onyeaghala, first counselor of the Apostolic Nunciature; and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, who also served as president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines from 2011 to 2013.

Cardinal Bo is a member of the Salesians of Saint John Bosco. He was installed as archbishop in 2003 and was proclaimed as Cardinal by Pope Francis on February 14, 2015.

An estimated 1 million faithful participated in the recent IEC, an international gathering of people aimed at promoting awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life of the Catholic Church. (PCOO News Release)