Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, 76, is Myanmar's first and only cardinal and was appointed by Pope Francis in 2015.

Since then he has played a prominent role representing the Pope and Myanmar's Church in a variety of positions, as well as attending international worshippers' summit on behalf of the Papal on various occasions.

Born in 1948, Bo was raised in a devout Catholic family of ten children, according to the College of Cardinals Report, and came from a humble and relatively poor family background.

His home village, Monhla, in central Myanmar, which he grew up in is steeped in religious tradition as it is home to some of the country's earliest Catholics, converted by Portuguese missionaries over 400 years ago, cited the Report.

Ordained as a Salesian priest in April 1976, Bo dedicated much of his early ministry to Myanmar's ethnic states before being named Archbishop of Yangon in 2003. His life includes a notable appointment as the Bishop of Pathein on March 13, 1996, by Pope St. John Paul II, marking him as the first bishop in Myanmar to transition between dioceses.

As one of Asia's senior cardinals, Bo commands significant international respect for his leadership amid decades of turmoil in Myanmar, including a brief period of reform from 2011 to 2021. Seen as an inspirational figure, he is committed to addressing injustices while fostering youth engagement, peace, reconciliation, and inter-religious dialogue. His extensive leadership experience, including his role with the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences, positions him as a potential candidate for the papacy, according to the College of Cardinals Report.