Pope Francis celebrates open-air Mass at Suhrawardy Udyan

Pope Francis celebrated an open-air Mass in Suhrawardy Udyan on the second day of his visit to Bangladesh.

About 80,000 Catholics from around the country were estimated to have joined event.

The pope presided over a sacramental ceremony in which several Catholics were ordained to priesthood. 

A chorus rendition of a prayer song marked the start of the ceremony at 10am.

Pope Francis thanked the crowd for making it to the event. "I know many of you travelled for two days to reach here. I thank you for your generosity. This shows the love for betterment embedded in your hearts. The love you nurture for Jesus Christ. Thank you for being in faith."

He sought blessings for the newly ordained priests. 

Believers attend a mass by Pope Francis in Dhaka, Bangladesh Dec 1, 2017. Reuters

"Some may ask 'how do I help these priests?' As followers of Christianity, it is your duty to support them with your prayers and nurturing. The first and foremost step is to pray.

"You must pray for them to God almighty so that they never get tired. Thank you all. Let us begin the sacramental ceremony," Pope Francis said in his homily.

The rituals started at 10:45am and ended just after 12pm, when the pope left the Suhrawardy Udyan grounds.

The 80-year-old pontiff arrived Bangladesh on Thursday after his diplomatically sensitive trip to Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where he made no direct reference to the over half a million of Rohingya Muslims who fled the country’s Rakhine state and crossed into Bangladesh.

Pope Francis holds a mass in Dhaka Pope Francis holds a mass in Dhaka, Bangladesh Dec 1, 2017. Reuters

Bangladesh President Md Abdul Hamid received him at the Dhaka airport, from where the Catholic Church leader went to the National Memorial in Savar to pay tributes to the 1971 Liberation War martyrs.

He then visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the capital before heading to the Bangabhaban where he had a private meeting with Hamid.

Pope Francis greets believers as he arrives for a mass in Dhaka, Bangladesh Dec 1, 2017. Reuters

In his address at the presidential palace to government officials, diplomats and members of the civil society, he called on the international community to take “decisive measures” to resolve not only the political issue surrounding the refugee crisis in Bangladesh, but also to provide “immediate material assistance” to respond to the humanitarian needs.

He, however, did not use the word ‘Rohingya’ in Dhaka, just like he did not in Myanmar, but instead spoke of “refugees from the Rakhine state”.

“None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps,” said Pope Francis.

Believers attend a mass by Pope Francis in Dhaka, Bangladesh Dec 1, 2017. Reuters

Following the Mass on Friday, he will hold talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Vatican embassy.

Later in the day, the pope will hold a meeting with bishops at Ramna Cathedral in Kakrail and attend an Interreligious and Ecumenical Meeting for Peace there to preach communal harmony.

On Saturday, he will visit the Mother Teresa Homes in Tejgaon. The visit will be followed by meetings with priests and religious leaders at the Holy Rosary Church. Pope Francis will visit the graveyard there afterwards.

In the afternoon, he will attend a session to exchange views with the youths at the Notre Dame College.

He will leave Dhaka at 5pm Saturday after being seen off by Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at the airport.