2023-09-02 02:22:11
Pope Francis was enthusiastically received this Friday by the small Catholic community of Mongolia, on his first official visit to this Central Asian country, which began with a message of “unity and peace” for neighboring China, in a context of efforts for improving ties with Beijing.
The 86-year-old Argentine pontiff will be in Mongolia, a Buddhist majority, until Monday. His trip is intended to be a gesture of support for the tiny local Catholic community and at the same time has strategic importance in order to improve the Vatican’s relations with the neighboring powers of Mongolia, China and Russia.
Landing
Francis landed shortly before 10 a.m. local time in the country’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, where the pope, who used a wheelchair, was received by Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg, escorted by a retinue of Mongolian honor guards in traditional clothing.
Afterwards, he went to the residence of the Italian bishop Giorgio Marengo, who is the youngest cardinal in the world and acts as a representative of the apostolic prefecture of Ulaanbaatar. Upon his arrival, the pontiff was acclaimed by hundreds of people who greeted him and shouted: “Long live the pope!”
The nun Aleth Evangelista told AFP that she and other nuns feel “blessed and lucky to receive the pope” in a country where there are about 1,400 faithful, in a population of more than three million people.
This is Francis’ second visit to Central Asia in a year, after the tour to Kazakhstan in September 2022, highlighting the geopolitical importance of this region.
“Divine blessings of unity and peace”
During the nine-hour flight, Francis sent a telegram with “prayers” and “good wishes” to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Vatican said, following the tradition of sending thanks to the countries that the papal plane flies over.
“Assuring you of my prayers for the welfare of the nation, I invoke upon you all divine blessings of unity and peace,” he said.
Asked during the flight if his diplomatic work is complex, the Pope replied: “Yes, they don’t know how difficult it is.” “Sometimes you have to have a sense of humor,” he added.
Beijing responded to the pontiff’s message stating that it wants to “reinforce mutual trust” with the Vatican and promote “a process of improving bilateral relations”, in the words of the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Wenbin.
a strained relationship
China and the Vatican do not have diplomatic relations. The Chinese Communist Party is officially atheist and exercises tight control over religious organizations, including reviewing sermons and selecting bishops.
Francis launched an effort to improve ties with China, and in 2018 the Holy See reached a secret agreement with authorities in Beijing that allowed both parties a say in the appointment of bishops in China. This agreement was renewed for two years in October of last year.
The 43rd trip that Francis has made in his more than ten years at the head of the Catholic Church is crucial for the Vatican’s relations with Beijing and Moscow, where the pope has not yet been invited.
physical challenge
The plane ride is also a physical test for this Jesuit who has several health problems, including an abdominal hernia and acute pain in one knee.
After a day of rest this Friday, Francis will start his program with a welcome ceremony on Saturday and meetings with the president, Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, and the prime minister, Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene.
Francis will also meet with the local Catholic community, which has just 25 priests (just two of them Mongolian) and 33 nuns. A mass is scheduled for Sunday at an ice hockey stadium, where pilgrims from neighboring countries will participate.
strategic importance
Mongolia, once part of Chinggis Khan’s empire, depends on Russia for energy imports and on China for raw materials exports. Although he maintains a neutral line, he seeks a balance on the international scene. This status may help the Vatican in its relations with Beijing and Moscow as the Holy See tries to push through a peace deal for the war in Ukraine.
Pope Francis can also use this trip to a former satellite in the orbit of the Soviet Union, converted into a democracy since 1992, to promote his defense of the environment. Mongolia is suffering from the impacts of climate change from mining, overgrazing and desertification and this has forced nomads, who make up a third of the population, to migrate to the capital, which is now surrounded by precarious housing for the displaced.
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