On his first visit to Mongolia today, Pope Francis praised the country’s rich culture while warning the young democracy about the dangers of corruption and environmental destruction.
Addressing Mongolian dignitaries in Ulan Bator, Francis described corruption as the fruit of an “unscrupulous mentality that has impoverished entire countries” and emphasized that religion can be “a protection against the insidious threat of corruption.”
Corruption and environmental destruction are among the biggest challenges in the Central Asian state located between Russia and China. The capital Ulan Bator is one of the cities with the worst air quality in the world.
It is the first visit by a head of the Catholic Church to Mongolia, which has a Buddhist majority. The number of Catholics is estimated at around 1,400; It is one of the smallest Catholic communities in the world, with just 25 priests and 33 nuns.