MANDALAY (UCAN): Pope Francis has named 59-year-old Father Marco Tin Win as the next archbishop of archdiocese of Mandalay, Myanmar.
 
Father Tin Win, the vicar general, will succeed Archbishop Nicholas Mang Thang, who has reached the retirement age for bishops of 75-year-old.
 
Charles Cardinal Maung Bo of Yangon, welcomed the announcement, saying that the archbishop-elect brings with him decades of quality service to the Church in Myanmar.
 
Cardinal Bo said he has proved to be an able administrator, both for the national bishops’ conference and the Archdiocese of Mandalay.
 
The cardinal also made note of Father Tin Win’s involvement in interfaith initiatives with Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus.
 
“His deep spirituality, his friendship with monks and his efforts at dialogue with religions and culture are the timely gifts he brings to Myanmar,” Cardinal Bo said in a statement.
 
“His simplicity, affability and erudite scholarship will empower the great Archdiocese of Mandalay,” the cardinal said.
 
Father Tin Win is also a lecturer in philosophy at St. Joseph Major Seminary in Pyin Oo Lwin, and rector of the Sacred Heart Cathedral of Mandalay.
 
Bishop Raymond Sumlut Gam of Banmaw, Kachin State, also welcomed the news, saying he was glad for the Catholics of Mandalay Archdiocese.
 
 “I believe Father Tin Win will be capable of leading the archdiocese through his experiences from various ministries,” Bishop Gam, who is also chairperson of Karuna (Caritas) Myanmar, said.
 
Father Tin Win was born in Mon Hla village, Sagaing division, in Mandalay on 22 April 1960.
 
He attended primary and secondary schools in his native village and would go on to attend secondary school at St. Aloysius Minor Seminary in Pyin-Oo-Lwin, near Mandalay.
 
He entered St. Joseph’s Major Seminary in Yangon in 1979, where he completed his philosophical and theological studies. Ten years later he was ordained a priest.
 
He studied at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome and obtained a doctorate in philosophy.
 
He has worked in a number of pastoral and administrative positions, including rector of St. Thomas Intermediate Seminary, diocesan bursar, parish priest of Mary Help of Christians in Sagaing and executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar.