During his first visit to Mongolia, Pope Francis spoke positively about the country’s peace policy. He also praised the traditional way of life as a nomad with a view to environmental protection.
Pope Francis has praised Mongolia’s role in the area of peace politics and religious freedom. “Mongolia is not only a democratic nation pursuing a peaceful foreign policy, but strives to play an important role in world peace,” the head of the Catholic Church told government and civil society officials in Ulaanbaatar. Given the country’s geographic location – sandwiched between Russia and China – some statements could be read as subtle messages to its neighbors.
Francis called for the “dark clouds of war to be banished”. He spoke of the desire for a “universal brotherhood” in which the basic rights of all people are guaranteed. Without naming the war in Ukraine and Russia, he called for respect for international law.
Referring to nuclear powers Russia and China, the Pope praised Mongolia’s determination to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons and present itself to the world as a nuclear-weapon-free country. Because of its commitment to human rights and diplomacy, the country plays a “significant role in the heart of the great Asian continent,” said the Pope. He also mentioned the abolition of the death penalty as “another wise element that is worth noting”.
Lifestyle as nomads “smart” and “green”
According to observers, his comments on religious freedom should also be heard in neighboring countries. After overcoming the “atheistic ideology” of the Soviet era, Francis said that Mongolia is a symbol of freedom of religion. This is a tradition in the country: religious tolerance existed even during the period of expansion of the Mongol Empire over much of the world. This spirit should also be appreciated and proposed anew today.
The Pope also addressed environmental protection in his speech. Pope Francis praised the Mongolians and their traditional nomadic way of life as “smart and green,” as he interjected in English into the speech delivered in Italian. The country has always been “careful not to damage the delicate balance of the ecosystem”. He called for a policy of responsible ecology. The protection of the earth is “urgent and cannot be postponed”. Ulan Bator is one of the cities with the worst air quality in the world.
First papal visit to Mongolia
Francis had previously been welcomed at a welcome ceremony on Sukhbaatar Square in the center of the Mongolian capital. Hundreds of people turned up. Among them were foreign pilgrims – including Catholics from China and Hong Kong. The Chinese pilgrims, in particular, made a point of not being photographed or filmed. According to their own statements, they took a day-long train ride to get to Ulan Bator.
The Vatican and the People’s Republic of China do not maintain diplomatic relations, the relationship is difficult. According to media reports, the Chinese authorities had forbidden Catholic bishops from mainland China to travel to the Pope in Ulaanbaatar.
It is the first visit by a head of the Catholic Church to Buddhist-majority Mongolia. Above all, Francis wants to strengthen the numerically small Catholic community with almost 1,500 members and promote dialogue between the religions. Buddhism and shamanism are particularly well represented in Mongolia.
With information from Ruth Kirchner, ARD studio Beijing