Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar (map), has frequently criticized military rule since the coup d’état in February, as a number of CWN stories attest (for example, March 24, September 1, October 26).

On December 23, Cardinal Bo met with Min Aung Hlaing, the general who has ruled Myanmar since February.

The prelate “later posted a photo from the meeting on his Twitter account, showing the pair with smiles on their faces as they jointly cut a Christmas cake,” Agence France-Presse reported. “One photo published by state media showed them sitting together in front of a Christmas tree, while another showed Min Aung Hlaing handing over a donation of 20 million kyat ($11,200).”

The photograph does not currently appear on the prelate’s Twitter account; instead, Cardinal Bo has tweeted his Christmas greetings on the occasion of his visit. A number of the Twitter replies are highly critical of the cardinal.