Pope Francis formally began his 8,000-kilometer trip to Mongolia on Saturday, a country sandwiched between Russia and China that has a tiny Catholic population.
Catholics from Mongolia and other countries, some seen waving Chinese flags, gathered in the main square of capital city Ulaanbaatar to catch a glimpse of the pontiff during an official welcome ceremony. With just 1,500 Catholics in the entire country, the visit was lacking the usual fanfare and mass crowds typically associated with Pope Francis’ trips abroad. When he visited Portugal in August 1.5 million people attended one of his vigils.
China is officially an atheist state, but religious practice is legal in the country – albeit under tight government supervision and surveillance. The Vatican’s relations with Moscow have deteriorated over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Pope has also drawn criticism from Ukraine with remarks made about Russia’s war.
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