Catholic Church in Burma

The Catholic Church in Burma is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are around 450,000 Catholics in Burma - approximately 1% of the total population. The country is divided into sixteen dioceses including three archdioceses. Each of the archdioceses is also a metropolitan.

The representative of the Holy See to the Catholic Church in Burma is an Apostolic Delegate, who is seated in Thailand. Since his appointment in August 2012, and as of November 2013, the Apostolic Delegate is Archbishop Paul Tschang In-nam.

President: Bishop John Hsane Hgyi, Bishop of Pathein (2012 - )

Past Prelates:

The ecclesiastical history of Christianity in Burma begins before its annexation by the British, when it still consisted of the kingdoms of Ava and Pegu.

In 1548 St. Francis Xavier petitioned Father Rodriguez for missionaries to go to Pegu, but nothing is known as to the outcome of his request.

Chief mercenary Filipe de Brito e Nicote promptly established Goa-backed Portuguese rule at Thanlyin in 1603. The country was in chaos. During that period, Portuguese Roman Catholic mission to Burma. Bayinnaung's grandson King Anaukpetlun defeated the Portuguese in 1613 and mission work were stopped. During that period, Burmese well-known crown prince and poet Natshinnaung was converted to Roman Catholicism and was baptised by a priest from Goa.

In 1699 the Vicar Apostolic of Siam and the Bishop of Meliapur (Portuguese India) had a dispute concerning the jurisdiction over Pegu, and Charles-Thomas Maillard De Tournon, Legatus a latere, decided against the vicar Apostolic.

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