Francis arrives in capital Ulaanbaatar after an overnight flight passing through Chinese airspace, affording 86-year-old pontiff a rare opportunity to send a note of greetings to President Xi Jinping.
Trip will be a stamina test for the pope, who continues to travel widely despite undergoing a hernia operation in June and pain in his knee, which has forced him to use a wheelchair. / Photo: Reuters
Pope Francis has arrived in Mongolia, a predominantly Buddhist country with just 1,450 Catholics that the Vatican hopes can act as a facilitator to improve difficult relations with China. The 86-year-old pontiff arrived at Ulaanbaatar airport on a chartered ITA Airways plane on Friday, also carrying his entourage and accompanying reporters.
The first event in the capital for Francis is on Saturday, when he addresses government leaders and the diplomatic corps. "This is a clear effort of the Holy See to take care of Central Asia and not abandon it to Russia or China," Michel Chambon, a scholar of Catholicism in Asia, told the AFP news agency.The trip will be a stamina test for the pope, who continues to travel widely despite undergoing a hernia operation in June and pain in his knee, which has forced him to use a wheelchair.
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