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  • Sai Charan

Why Is 'Activist' Pope Silent On The Uyghurs?


Pope Francis is often regarded as the 'Activist' Pope. Pope has even demanded that the Rohingyas be treated fairly in a visit to Myanmar. However, He is silent on the persecution of Uyghur Muslims by China. The persecution of Uyghurs is nothing less than the Holocaust. More than 70 faith leaders have publicly condemned China including at least five serving bishops. However, the 'Activist' Pope who has a track record of being vocal about human rights has never spoken about the Uyghur crisis.


This is because China has arm-twisted the Pope by setting two conditions in an agreement regarding the appointment of bishops in China. The two conditions are that the Vatican will never interfere in the religious matters in China and that the Vatican will break all ties with the Taiwanese government. Therefore, Pope complied and has never spoken about the Uyghur Crisis in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. This could be regarded as China forcing one of the world's most powerful religious leaders to self-censor.

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