Pope Francis Appoints Auxiliary Bishop of Yangon, Myanmar

Bishop John Saw Yaw Han’s Academic Formation Included a Specialization in US Studies

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Today, the Pope appointed Fr. John Saw Yaw Han to auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Yangon, the capital city of Myanamer, and assigned him the titular see of Buffada.

The Asian priest is currently serving as rector of Yangon’s major seminary.

Born in 1968, in the village of Homalim in the same archdiocese, John Saw Yaw Han would go on to study at St. Joseph minor and major seminaries and Pyin-Oo-Lwin Major Seminary, where he would receive degrees in geography and moral theology. He also specialized in U.S. studies.

In March 18, 1995, John Saw Yan Han was ordained a priest.

Moreover, the Asian priest has held various pastoral and academic posts. From 2008 to 2011, he served as rector of the Minor Seminary in Bago, and since 2011, he has been serving as rector of the National Major Seminary in Yangon.

In the Archdiocese of Yangon, about 15 percent of the population are Christians, 85 percent, Buddhists, and the rest, Muslims, Hindus and animists. Of the Christian population, 30 percent are Catholics. About 14 percent of the entire nation’s Catholic population lives in the Yangon diocese.

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On the NET:

Yangon Archdiocese: www.yangonarchdiocese.org

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Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for ZENIT; author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/

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