While visiting Mongolia on Saturday, September 2, Pope Francis called for “Mongolian peace” on the planet.
This was reported by UPI, according to Ukrinform.
During the meeting with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh at the state palace, the pontiff highly praised the country’s traditions stemming from the Mongol Empire.
“The fact that the empire could embrace such distant and varied lands over the centuries bears witness to the remarkable ability of your ancestors to acknowledge the outstanding qualities of the peoples present in its immense territory and to put those qualities at the service of a common development,” Francis said.
As reported by Ukrinform, Pope Francis, in a speech to Russian Catholic youths on August 25, called on them “not to forget the legacy of… that great, enlightened empire”, mentioning the names of Peter the First and Catherine the Second.
Mongolia is a predominantly Buddhist nation with only 1,450 registered Catholics. The Vatican hopes the country could serve as a mediator in improving the Holy See’s troubled relationship with China.
Photo: EPA-EFE
