“The population of Bangladesh is predominantly Muslim, and therefore my visit – in the footsteps of Blessed Paul VI and St. John Paul II – marked a further step towards respect and dialogue between Christianity and Islam”. This is how Pope Francis recalled the second leg of his 21st international apostolic trip, to Bangladesh. “I reminded the authorities of the country – the Pope told the 8,000 faithful gathered in the Paul VI Hall today – that since the beginning, the Holy See has supported the will of the people of Bangladesh to establish themselves as an independent nation, as well as the need for religious freedom to be always protected” throughout the country. In particular, “I wanted to express my solidarity with Bangladesh in its commitment to help the Rohingya refugees who had fled en masse to its territory, where the population density is already among the highest in the world”, the Pope continued, speaking about the highlight of his trip, of which “one of the most significant and joyful events” was the historic Mass celebrated in Dhaka’s Park and the ordination of 16 priests. “Thank God both in Bangladesh and in Myanmar, as well as in other countries of South East Asia, there is no lack of vocations, which is a sign that those communities are alive and hear the voice of the Lord who calls us to follow Him”, the Pope remarked: “I shared this joy with the bishops of Bangladesh, and I encouraged them in their generous work for the families, for the poor, for education, for dialogue and for social peace. And I shared this joy with many priests and consecrated men and women in the country, as well as with the seminarians and novices, in whom I saw the first buds of the Church in that land”.