On the first day of the Apostolic Journey to Myanmar, November 27, 2017, the papal entourage went to the Shwedagon pagoda, the most prestigious Burmese Buddhist spiritual center.
A few hours after Pope Francis’ plane landed in the country, Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro posted photos of this visit on Twitter, in which the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples took part.
During the event, which took place around 7:00 pm local time (1:30 pm in Rome), Vatican Radio posted a video of Cardinal Filoni, who was invited to strike a gong.
The monumental complex — made up of numerous temples and a central pagoda covered in gold and diamonds, whose history goes back 2,500 years –, is located in Yangon, the country’s ancient capital. It houses relics of the Buddha as well as many precious ornaments and statues.
During his visit to Myanmar, the Pope is due to meet with the “Sangha” Supreme Council of Buddhist monks at the Kaba Aye Center.
Translation by Virginia M. Forrester
JF
