Pope Francis on Saturday praised the “wisdom” of Mongolia, many of whose residents have lived in harmony with nature for centuries, while calling for more to be done to protect the environment in this Asian country accustomed to pollution.
The 86-year-old Pope called for an “urgent and now indispensable commitment to protecting planet Earth.”
Mongolia is one of the largest coal exporters and the air in its capital Ulaanbaatar is regularly among the most polluted in the world.
Large parts of the country are also at risk of desertification due to climate change, overgrazing and mining.
The pope also castigated corruption before the leaders of Mongolia, where a major scandal in the mining industry sparked major protests in December.
Corruption “poses a serious threat to the development of every human group and feeds on a utilitarian and unscrupulous mentality that impoverishes entire countries,” Francis warned.
Arriving in Ulaanbaatar the day before, the Argentine pope met there on Saturday with the modest Catholic community of this predominantly Buddhist country.
His journey is being followed passionately by many pilgrims from other Asian countries who have made their way to Mongolia to try to see the head of the Catholic Church of 1.3 billion believers.
– “A wonderful person” –
In the vast Sukhbaatar Square, which houses the heart of Mongol power, more than a thousand loyal and curious people awaited his arrival.
“I’m not Catholic, but […] I wanted to see it in person. He seems like a great person,” smiles Enkhtur Dagvadorj, a Mongolian who says he is “very happy.”
In the front row, behind a police cordon, was Galina Kruutilina, 62, who had traveled from Moscow with a friend to visit the Pope.
“We arrived by train an hour ago,” this Orthodox Russian woman, wearing a gold cross around her neck, told AFP.
After more than 6,000 kilometers of travel, “we are here because God is up on the mountain,” emphasizes Ms. Kruutilina. “But there are many ways to get there.”
“It’s like we’re seeing Jesus,” said a Chinese tourist who came in a group, “specifically to see the Pope.”
“Many Catholics in China wanted to come but couldn’t. We are blessed,” he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Religion remains a sensitive issue in China. The ruling Communist Party is wary of any organization, especially religious ones, that could threaten its authority.
He has long been suspicious of the Vatican because of its potential political influence over Chinese Catholics and because of China’s lack of diplomatic relations with the small state.
– Fair in an arena –
“We have to hold back and, above all, not say that we are here because of the Pope. At customs they asked us if we were Catholic, we said we were sightseeing,” admits a Chinese citizen who prefers to keep his name as well.
To avoid being identified, many Chinese people cover their heads and hide their faces behind a surgical mask and sunglasses.
Francis will meet at St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, whose circular nave is reminiscent of the yurt of Mongolia’s nomads, the country’s small Catholic community. There are only 25 priests and 33 nuns, including only two Mongolians.
On Sunday, the Jesuit pope will address an interfaith meeting, expected to include a delegation of the rector of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ulaanbaatar, and then preside over a mass at a recently built ice hockey arena.
The Pope’s trip to Mongolia is a gesture of support for the small community of Catholics, which numbers around 1,400 believers in a population of more than three million.
It is also a test for the pope, who continues to travel extensively despite suffering from an abdominal hernia operated on in June and knee pain that forces him to use a wheelchair.
published September 2nd at 10:00 a.m., AFP
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