Charles Maung Bo


Charles Maung Bo is a Burmese Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Yangon since 7 June 2003. He was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2015.

Early life and education

Bo was born on 29 October 1948, in Monhla Village, Shwebo District, Sagaing Region, Myanmar to parents John and Juliana Aye Tin. Bo's father, a farmer, died when he was 2. Thereafter, he was sent to a Salesian-run boarding school in Mandalay. From 1962 to 1976, Bo studied at the Nazareth Aspirantate, a Salesian seminary, in Anisakan village, near Maymyo.

Career

Bo was ordained a priest of the Salesians of Don Bosco order on 9 April 1976. He was appointed as prefect of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lashio in 1986. Four years later, he was consecrated Bishop of Lashio. In 1996, he was transferred to the Diocese of Pathein. On 17 March 2001, Pope John Paul II named him a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
On 24 May 2003, Pope John Paul named Bo Archbishop of Yangon. On 17 January 2009, Pope Benedict XVI named him a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture.
On 4 January 2015, Pope Francis announced that he would make Bo a cardinal on 14 February of the same year. At that ceremony, he was assigned the titular church of Sant’Ireneo a Centocelle
In April 2015 Pope Francis named him a member of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and the Pontifical Council for Culture, and in July 2016 a member of the Secretariat for Communications.
In July 2018, Francis named him a delegate to the Synod of Bishops on youth, faith, and vocational discernment.
He was elected to a three-year term as head of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences in the fall of 2018.