Missionaries hope Pope Francis will give Bangladeshi Christians the courage to proclaim the Gospel (AsiaNews)

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in early December, and many of the nation’s Muslims think he is the leader of the Baptists or the president of Italy, according to one missionary. The “Christian community is fragile and does not feel it can spread Christianity,” the missionary added. “The reason is that they are surrounded by an Islamic majority and are afraid of fundamentalism, but also because openly speaking as believers in Christ creates tensions and division in tribal society.”