During his visit, the Pope will meet with a cardinal and pay a visit to a charitable organization operated by nuns. Additionally, he will engage in meetings with political leaders in Mongolia.
Pope Francis touched down in Mongolia on Friday morning, marking a significant visit aimed at offering support to one of the world's smallest and most recently established Catholic communities.
This historic journey represents the first-ever papal visit to the landlocked Asian nation and comes at a pivotal moment when the Vatican's relations with Mongolia's influential neighbors, Russia and China, are once again strained.
Francis's arrival took place in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, following an overnight flight that traversed Chinese airspace. This provided the pontiff with a rare opportunity to extend greetings to President Xi Jinping, as Vatican protocol dictates that the pope should send such messages whenever he flies over a foreign nation.
In his message to President Xi, Pope Francis conveyed "warm greetings and best wishes to Your Excellency and the people of China."
He continued, "As I assure you of my prayers for the prosperity and harmony of your nation, I invoke upon all of you the divine blessings of unity and peace."
A Gesture of Goodwill
Despite the strains in the relationship, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin acknowledged the greeting as a display of "friendliness and goodwill."
Wang stated during a daily briefing, "China is willing to continue moving in the same direction with the Vatican, engage in constructive dialogues, foster mutual understanding, build trust, and promote the ongoing process of improving relations between the two sides."
Upon his arrival, Pope Francis, who uses a wheelchair, was welcomed on the tarmac by helmeted honor guards, along with Mongolia's foreign minister. He also received a symbolic offering of dried yogurt from a woman dressed in traditional attire, signifying a warm welcome. The Pope did not make any public statements upon arrival. Several dozen individuals, including priests and others, observed his arrival from the airport terminal.
During a conversation with reporters on his journey to Mongolia late Thursday, Francis expressed his anticipation of visiting a nation with a small population but possessing a culture that requires one's senses to fully comprehend.
"There are only a few inhabitants - a small population, but a rich culture," Pope Francis remarked aboard the ITA charter plane. "I believe it will be beneficial for us to attempt to comprehend this vast, profound silence, to grasp its meaning not merely intellectually but with our senses." He further noted, "In Mongolia, you comprehend through your senses."
The Pope's agenda includes official meetings with Mongolia's president and prime minister, as well as delivering a speech before an audience comprising Mongolian government officials, cultural figures, and business leaders. Additionally, Pope Francis will have his initial encounter with the bishops, priests, and nuns who constitute the foundation of a tiny Catholic community of 1,450 members, which has emerged over the course of just one generation.
While Christianity has a longstanding history in the region spanning centuries, the Catholic Church only gained official recognition in Mongolia in 1992, following the country's separation from its Soviet-aligned communist government and the establishment of religious freedom in its constitution.
The Holy See and Mongolia have maintained diplomatic relations since that time, and a handful of missionary religious orders, including Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, have supported and nurtured the nascent community over its initial three decades.
Among these efforts, four Missionaries of Charity sisters—Jeanne Francoise from Rwanda, Chanmi from South Korea, Viera from Slovakia, and Suder from India—operate a nursing home situated on the northern outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. This facility accommodates 30 beds and offers care to elderly individuals facing mental or physical disabilities, homelessness, undocumented status, or estrangement from their families.
Sister Jeanne Francoise expressed her deep honor at Pope Francis's visit to Mongolia, recalling a previous encounter with him when she resided in Rome but anticipating that this occasion would be more intimate and meaningful given the context of Mongolia.
Francis has consistently praised the efforts of missionaries and has actively sought to revive the missionary spirit within the broader Church. He has achieved this by visiting missionaries and offering his encouragement for their work. One of his initial activities during his stay in Mongolia is overseeing a gathering with missionaries at the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in the capital on Saturday afternoon. His visit culminates with the inauguration of a new charity house managed by the Church, dedicated to assisting Mongolia's most impoverished individuals.
The Rev. Sanjaajav Tserenkhand, a Mongolian priest, shared his sentiments outside the cathedral, expressing his desire for people to recognize the presence of the Catholic religion, the Catholic Church, and Catholic believers in Mongolia. He hoped that Pope Francis's visit would also convey to Mongolians that Christianity is not merely a "foreign religion" but is deeply rooted in the country.
Cardinal Giorgio Marengo
The Argentine pontiff has consistently prioritized visiting Catholic communities in what he refers to as the peripheries, opting to focus on smaller churches where Catholics are often a minority, rather than the global centers of Catholicism. He has elevated the leaders of these communities to the rank of cardinals to emphasize the universal presence of the 1.3 billion-strong Catholic Church. This includes Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, the head of the Mongolian church.
Marengo spoke to journalists during a recent visit to Rome, expressing, "His heart is filled with love for the universal Church, especially for the Church in a minority context." He highlighted the profound significance of Pope Francis's journey to Mongolia in this regard.
Another key objective of Francis' four-day visit is to draw attention to Mongolia's longstanding tradition of interfaith harmony. The Mongol Empire, founded by the renowned Genghis Khan, was known for its tolerance towards people of various faiths among its conquests. Francis is expected to underscore this tradition when he presides over an interfaith gathering on Sunday.
Invitations have been extended to Mongolian Buddhists, who constitute the majority in the nation of 3.3 million, as well as representatives from the Jewish, Muslim, and Shinto communities, along with members of Christian denominations that have established a presence in Mongolia over the past three decades. This includes the Russian Orthodox Church.
Walking a Diplomatic Tightrope
During this encounter, Francis may have the opportunity to extend greetings to the Moscow patriarchate, which has staunchly supported the Kremlin's actions in Ukraine. The Pope has aimed to navigate a diplomatic balance, avoiding any actions that might provoke Moscow, in line with the Vatican's tradition of maintaining diplomatic neutrality in conflicts.
In the lead-up to his visit, Francis stirred controversy in Ukraine when he praised Russia's historical imperial past. The Vatican clarified that these comments were in no way an endorsement of Russia's current aggression in Ukraine.
While the Vatican has stressed that Francis is visiting Mongolia and not China or Russia, the China question remains ever-present. It is anticipated that a group of Chinese Catholics, as well as Russian Catholics, will attend Francis' Mass on Sunday at the Steppe Arena. However, China's crackdown on religious minorities serves as a backdrop to the trip.
Moreover, the issue of China's opposition to the Dalai Lama may surface, as Mongolian Buddhism is closely linked to Tibet's strain and traditionally holds the Dalai Lama in high regard. While Francis has made a point of meeting with religious leaders worldwide, he has refrained from meeting the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader thus far, to avoid antagonizing Beijing.
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