(from Yangon) – “Peace. Peace is the message we most need today. Without peace, without trust, we cannot do anything. The only thing we need today is peace. I hope and believe that through this visit and Pope Francis’ presence among us, the people may come to understand even more what peace and love are”. The Mayor of Yangon, Maung Maung Soe, gives voice to the expectations of the Burmese people in the run-up to Pope Francis’ visit to Myanmar (27-30 November). In an interview with SIR news agency, the mayor talks about the planning of the visit, in which the City of Yangon is also involved, from the Pope’s arrival at the international airport to his departure for Bangladesh. Maung Maung Soe is a Catholic. When asked what he will say to Pope Francis when he meets him, he replies: “I will tell him one thing: pray for us! Because we are a developing country, with an economy that is struggling to recover and we are faced with many social problems. These are all challenges for which we need his prayer. The Pope’s visit to our country is in God’s plans and, therefore, it will be a blessing for all of us”. “I hope – he concludes – that this visit will foster love, peace, mercy and charity. These things are essential for humanity and life, and these are our expectations for this visit”.