11 August 2026 | New Day Myanmar
YANGON — Myanmar’s most senior Catholic cleric, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, has urged the country’s leaders and other decision-makers to pursue dialogue and reconciliation to end years of conflict, as he continues to face criticism over his engagement with military leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, made the appeal during a homily on Aug. 9, saying those with the power to shape Myanmar’s future should choose life over death, dialogue over violence, reconciliation over revenge and peace over destruction.
Myanmar has endured more than five years of armed conflict since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup, with millions displaced and large parts of the country affected by fighting, airstrikes and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Bo said the conflict had cost people their homes, schools, livelihoods and loved ones, leaving communities struggling with displacement, poverty, fear and uncertainty.
He urged opposing sides to sit together and seek a path towards peace, saying Myanmar needed people willing to defend human dignity and work for reconciliation rather than deepen hatred and retaliation.
The cardinal also called on the Catholic Church in Myanmar to remain close to communities affected by the conflict, urging churches and parishes to provide refuge for displaced people and continue assisting children, the elderly, the poor and those who have lost their homes and livelihoods.
Criticism Over Engagement With Min Aung Hlaing
Bo’s latest appeal comes against the backdrop of longstanding criticism from some Myanmar Catholics, Christians and activists over his contacts with Min Aung Hlaing and the military leadership.
The criticism intensified in December 2021 after photographs emerged showing Bo and Min Aung Hlaing cutting a Christmas cake together, months after the military takeover triggered a violent crackdown on opponents of the coup.
The meeting drew criticism at a time when fighting was escalating in several Christian-majority areas and churches and civilian homes had been damaged or destroyed.
Min Aung Hlaing also donated 20 million kyat during the Christmas encounter, according to reports at the time. Some Catholic clergy and activists criticised the meeting, arguing that such engagement risked appearing insensitive to communities suffering from military violence.
The Independent Catholics for Justice in Myanmar was among groups that publicly criticised the encounter.
Bo has nevertheless continued to meet Myanmar’s military leadership while repeatedly calling for an end to violence and a negotiated political solution.
Most recently, he met Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw on Aug. 5, four days before his latest peace appeal.
According to an official account of the meeting, the two discussed peace, religious affairs and cooperation. Bo also expressed appreciation for the allocation of land for the construction of a Catholic church in Naypyidaw.
The meeting came as Min Aung Hlaing, who became president following a military-organised election widely criticised for excluding meaningful opposition, has sought greater diplomatic engagement at home and abroad.
Bo’s approach has therefore remained divisive.
Supporters of engagement argue that maintaining communication with those holding power can provide the Church with a channel to advocate for peace, humanitarian access and vulnerable communities.
Critics, however, say high-profile meetings with military leaders risk normalising an administration accused of widespread human rights abuses and lending it legitimacy at a time when fighting and attacks on civilians continue.
Despite those criticisms, Bo has repeatedly called since the 2021 coup for an end to violence, dialogue between opposing sides and greater humanitarian assistance for civilians caught in Myanmar’s conflict.
His latest message again focused on reconciliation, urging those with political and military power to seek a negotiated path out of a crisis that has devastated communities across the country.