During the ceremony in his honor, Pope Francis in Mongolia included a message addressed to governments: “You have nothing to fear from the work of evangelization of the Church.” His words did not stop winking at China, which maintains tense relations with the Vatican. The Catholic community in Mongolia, a democracy wedged between China and Russia, welcomed the pope with enthusiasm. His arrival is part of an agenda of visits with the aim of bringing the Catholic Church closer to remote areas of Rome.
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Chinese flags are waved in front of the cathedral in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, on September 2. Chinese Catholics took the opportunity to cross the border and participate in the Pope’s first visit to the Asian country.
The pope’s displacement is perceived as an opportunity to encourage the Mongolian Catholic community, and also to improve relations with Beijing at the gates of China.
“I am extremely happy, it is the first time I see it. It’s not like you have these kinds of opportunities all the time. I am really very happy,” Yang Guang, a Catholic from Shanghai who traveled to Mongolia for the occasion, told Reuters.
“There are many Catholics in China who wanted to come but couldn’t. So we feel blessed,” a Chinese woman told AFP.
The journalists from the news agency listened in parallel as a Chinese visitor advised another not to speak to the press, for fear of having “problems” upon his return to the country.
And it is that relations between the Vatican and China have gone through different moments of tension in recent years. China has never invited the pope to its territory, and the Chinese Communist Party mistrusts the presence of the Catholic Church, exercising strict control over religious institutions.
In his remarks to priests, nuns and the Mongolian Catholic community, which makes up about 1,450 people among its nearly 3.4 million people, the pope said Jesus did not give his followers a political mandate, but urged them to alleviate a ” wounded humanity” through faith.
“Governments and secular institutions have nothing to fear from the evangelization work of the Church, as it does not have a political agenda to promote,” Pope Francis said in front of the circular-shaped Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. of a traditional structure of the Mongolian nomadic peoples. He added that the Church’s message was one of “mercy and truth, which means promoting the good of all.”
In the audience was Stephen Chow, the archbishop of Hong Kong who hopes to be made a cardinal later in the month. In April he made the first visit by a representative of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong to the Chinese capital in almost 30 years. He is hopeful that the district church can serve as a “bridge” to mainland China.
In 2018, the Vatican gave Beijing part of its decision-making power over the appointment of bishops in China, in exchange for establishing its presence in the country. An agreement that some analysts considered “inconvenient, to say the least”, according to Reuters. The Vatican has complained on several occasions about Beijing’s breach of the deal.
On his way to Mongolia, while the pope was flying over Chinese airspace, he sent a telegram to President Xi Jinping. Pope Francis conveyed his good wishes to all the people of China, and assured the president of his prayers for “the well-being of the nation.”
On September 1, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Pope Francis’ greeting to President Xi Jinping reflected his blessings and good faith.
The Pope’s historic visit to Mongolia
Pope Francis is the first pope in history to visit Mongolia.
The country, a former satellite of the Soviet Union that became democratic in 1992, has a small Catholic community among the majority Buddhist population. The Mongolian government has expressed its appreciation for the social work of the Catholic Church in its territory.
Before his words in the cathedral, the pope was officially received at the Government Palace. Horsemen paraded in traditional Mongolian warrior armor, and the pope greeted more than 1,000 people alongside President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh.
Francis introduced himself as a “pilgrim of friendship” and extolled the virtues of the country and its nomadic peoples, “respectful of the delicate balance of the ecosystem.”
In addition to advocating for the “urgent and urgent protection and preservation of the planet,” the pope insisted on the fight against corruption. “It is the fruit of a utilitarian and unscrupulous mentality that has impoverished entire countries,” Francis declared.
The pope called on global leaders to dispel the “black clouds of war.”
The Pope’s visit to Mongolia is an example of his announced willingness to bring the Catholic Church closer to remote areas. Mongolia is a country wedged between China and Russia, which has suffered severe environmental degradation in recent years. Parts of its territory are at risk of desertification due to overexploitation of agriculture and mining.
Enkhtur Dagvadorj, a Mongolian national, was in the audience and was interviewed by AFP. “Although the Mongols are Buddhists, it is very nice to receive the Pope of Rome in our country. Also, his visit benefits our country in many ways, from reputation to economy,” he said.
Francis is expected to hold Mass and lead an interfaith meeting on Sunday before leaving Mongolia on Monday.
With AFP and Reuters
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