Pope Francis arrives in Mongolia to support Catholics in a sensitive region

He Pope Francisco arrived this Friday at Mongoliain the first visit of a pontiff to this country of Central Asia nestled in a sensitive region between two great powers, China and Russiaand endowed with a scant catholic community.

The papal plane landed shortly before 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) in Ulaanbaatarthe country’s capital, where Francis was welcomed by an entourage of Mongolian honor guards in traditional blue, red and yellow clothing, according to AFP video footage.

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During the journey, while crossing ChinaFrancisco took the opportunity to send a telegram with “prayers” and “good wishes” to its president, Xi Jinpingreported The Vaticanfollowing the tradition of sending thanks to the countries that the papal plane flies over.

The trip of the 86-year-old Argentine pontiff, scheduled until Monday in this Buddhist-majority country, is a gesture of support for the small local Catholic community, which has some 1,400 faithful among a population of more than 3 million people.

It is the second visit of Francisco to Central Asia in one year, after the one carried out at Kazakhstan in September 2022. In the current context, it has a special strategic value.

“It is a clear effort of the Holy See for taking care of Central Asia and not abandoning it to Russia or china”, Michel Chambon, a specialist in Catholic communities in Asia, told AFP.

The visit, the 43rd that Francis has made in his more than ten years at the helm of the Catholic Church, is also crucial for the Vatican’s relations with Beijing and Moscowwhere the pope was not yet invited.

“It is a way of jumping into the pool, and not staying in Rome waiting for things to happen”, he added chambon.

physical challenge

The Argentine Jesuit left Rome at 16:40 GMT on Thursday for a nine-hour flight to the Mongolian capital.

The journey is a physical test for the Pope, who continues to travel despite having an abdominal hernia operation in June and despite pain in one knee, forcing him to use a wheelchair.

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After a day of rest, the Bishop of Rome will start his program with a welcome ceremony on Saturday and meetings with the president Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and the prime minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene. He will also speak for the first time before the authorities, diplomats and members of civil society.

Francis will meet with the local Catholic community, which has just 25 priests (only two of them Mongolians) and 33 nuns.

On Sunday, the pope will address an interfaith gathering, which the rector of the Russian Orthodox Church of Ulaanbaatar is expected to attend with a delegation.

Then a mass is planned in a recently built ice hockey stadium. Pilgrims from neighboring countries will attend the event, the Vatican said, particularly from Russia, China, South Korea, thailand, VietnamKazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan.

Diplomacy and environment

Once part of the empire of Genghis KhanMongolia depends on Russia for the import of energy and on China for the export of its raw materials, mainly coal.

Although it maintains a neutral line towards its powerful neighbors, it seeks a balance on the international scene by strengthening its relations with other countries such as USA, Japan and South Korea.

This status can help the Vatican in its relations with Beijing and Moscow. The Holy See last year renewed an agreement with China for the complicated appointment of bishops in the country and is trying to promote a peace agreement for the war in Ukraine.

He Pope Francisco You can also use this trip to an old satellite of the Soviet Unionconverted into a democracy since 1992, to promote democratic principles.

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Similarly, the pontiff, known for his environmental advocacy during his papacy, is likely referring to the impact of climate change on Mongolian ecosystems.

Mining, overgrazing, and rising temperatures fuel desertification in wide swaths of the country.

In addition, intense cold, floods and drought have killed many herds in its vast grasslands and forced nomads, who make up a third of the population, to migrate to Ulaanbaatar, now surrounded by poorly built dwellings inhabited by herdsmen. displaced.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.