Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, briefed the press on Pope Francis’ upcoming 43rd international pastoral visit. The centerpiece of the trip was meeting with the local Catholic community and celebrating Mass at Prairie Gymnasium.
(Vatican News Network) This is a trip through the prairie. The scattered yurts along the way are symbols of the nomadic life of the local residents, built by wooden pillars and walls. It is a “passionate”, “peaceful” people, “with a calling to multilateralism” and a caretaker of the environment. Only 0.02% of the people in this country believe in Catholicism, belonging to the “Little Sheep Stack” reborn in 1992.
Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, outlined Pope Francis’ pilgrimage to Mongolia in this way. The itinerary is scheduled to take place from August 31 to September 4, only in the capital Ulaanbaatar. This is Pope Francis’ 43rd apostolic trip and the first to go to the Asian hub between Russia and China. Bruni said that the pope’s special plane will pass through China’s airspace on its way to and from China, and it is expected that the pope will send a telegram to President Xi Jinping.
The Roots of the Church’s “Lamb Stack”
The geopolitical symbolism of Mongolia’s location at this historic moment in the Ukrainian war may also be reflected in the Pope’s Sept. 1 address to civil authorities. There are 5 speeches delivered by the Pope during this trip, all of which were delivered in Italian. Bruni clarified that the pope’s entire trip centered on meeting the small local Catholic Church, around 1,500 faithful. “The Pope went to Mongolia primarily to speak to them, to express words of encouragement and hope to this beautiful reality that makes a significant contribution in this area of human life,” he said.
Bruni also recalled the roots of the church. Although contacts with the Latin world are recorded as early as 1200, and even Genghis Khan’s son had a correspondence with Pope Innocent IV, the Church is in fact still living out its roots today. The appointment of the first bishop dates back to the beginning of the 14th century AD. In the ensuing centuries, the number of Christians in the region dwindled almost completely, until they disappeared completely under the communist regime. Since 1992, the Church has been “re-admitted” and “invited to have its presence” in Mongolia.
Meeting with Catholic Church groups and other religious groups
Over the past three decades, missionaries have done a great deal to breathe new life into the church. Today, this small group of churches is very active, and an agreement between the Holy See and Mongolia on the activities of local Christians is being studied. On the afternoon of September 3rd, the Pope will preside over the Holy Mass at the Grassland Gymnasium. In addition to the 1,500 believers in Mongolia, thousands of believers from several neighboring countries also attended the ceremony. They came from Russia, China, Thailand, and Kazakhstan. Tan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Vietnam.
In addition, on the same day the Pope will attend the Ecumenical and Religious Conversation Gathering at the Hun Theatre: representatives of Shamanism, Shintoism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and other religions will take part in this event. Bruni emphasized that this is a sign of the peaceful coexistence of the Mongolian people for decades. Government observers and representatives of universities will also participate in the meeting.
Responding to questions from some journalists about the possibility of a meeting with representatives of Tibetan Buddhism that could raise tensions with China and the possibility of private meetings with Russian and Chinese believers after the mass, Bruni said that there are currently no private meetings scheduled. He explained that in the ecumenical and interfaith dialogue there will be all religious groups.
As for the mention of neighboring China, the Director of the Holy See Press Office reiterated the pope’s last speech after the Angelus recitation on August 27, saying that “the Pope made it very clear: he went to Mongolia to Desires this meeting with great respect. His wish is to meet the people there. This trip is to go to Mongolia”.
visit itinerary
When introducing the details of the Pope’s itinerary, Bruni mentioned that the Pope departed from Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport at 6:30 p.m. on August 31, and flew for 9 and a half hours, passing through Georgia, Azerbaijan and China. Upon arrival at Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar, the pope will be greeted by Mongolia’s foreign minister, who will be offered a bowl of dried yogurt by a young woman, a typical Mongolian gift.
The first day in Mongolia will be devoted to institutional meetings: in the morning with the civil authorities, including the President and Prime Minister; in the afternoon with bishops, priests and religious missionaries. The meeting with the latter took place in the cathedral, where a statue of the Virgin that a woman had found in the trash a few years earlier had been honored. The woman who finds the image of the Virgin will greet the pope at the cathedral, where another Mongolian woman will present him with a jug of milk wrapped in a blue scarf, another traditional gift. On his last day in Mongolia, the Pope will inaugurate the House of Mercy. Bruni said, “It is wonderful that the Pope ends his visit in this place of love”.
entourage
Among the Pope’s entourage are Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Acting Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of the First Evangelization and New Local Churches, and Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Congregation for the Promotion of Christian Unity. , Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso, Prefect of the Congregation for Religious Intercourse. In addition, a female layperson of the newspaper “Observatore Roma” was included in the delegation.
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2023-08-30 11:59:27
