The comments came during the first papal visit to the young democracy sandwiched between China and Russia, where the 86-year-old pontiff has hoped not only to encourage the tiny Catholic community but also use his presence at China's backdoor to try to improve the Vatican's relations with Beijing.
"Governments and secular institutions have nothing to fear from the Church's work of evangelisation, for she has no political agenda to advance..." said the 86-year-old pontiff, during an address at Saints Peters and Paul Cathedral in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.
The Church's message of "mercy and truth...is meant to promote the good of all," he said.
In visiting the landlocked nation of Mongolia, a former Soviet satellite state that has been a democracy since 1992, the Argentine Jesuit has had one eye on geopolitics, even as the visit fulfils his desire to reach out to remote, largely ignored areas far from Rome.
Beijing's Communist Party is wary of the Catholic Church on its territory, and exercises strict control over all recognised religious institutions.
The Holy See renewed a deal last year with Beijing allowing both sides a say in appointing bishops in China, a move critics have called a dangerous Vatican concession in exchange for a presence in the country.
Beijing has never extended an invitation for Francis to visit.
The apparent message to China came on Francis' second day in Ulaanbaatar, where earlier Saturday he was feted with an official welcome ceremony that included a phalanx of Mongolian horsemen in metal armour parading past the State Palace.
He waved to a crowd of more than a thousand people at the side of President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, in front of a massive bronze statue of Genghis Khan.
Calling himself a "pilgrim of friendship," Francis extolled the virtues of the country, including its nomadic people "respectful of the delicate balances of the ecosystem".
He said Mongolia's Shamanist and Buddhist traditions of living in harmony with nature "can contribute significantly to the urgent and no longer deferrable efforts to protect and preserve planet Earth."
But while praising the country for its religious tolerance and pacifist foreign policy, he warned that corruption was "the fruit of a utilitarian and unscrupulous mentality that has impoverished whole countries".
Again underscoring the benefit of organised religions, he said they can "represent a safeguard against the insidious threat of corruption, which effectively represents a serious menace to the development of any human community."
Mongolia has been marred by corruption and environmental degradation in recent years, with its capital suffering from some of the world's worst air quality and an embezzlement scandal sparking street protests last year.
Vast swathes of the country's territory are also at risk of desertification due to climate change, overgrazing and mining.
- Global figure -
In the vast Sukhbaatar Plaza, named for a Mongol revolutionary hero, many hoped to catch a glimpse of the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.
In the crowd was Mongolian Enkhtur Dagvadorj, who said Francis "seems a great person. He is indeed a global figure."
"Although Mongolians are Buddhists, it is lovely to receive a Pope from Rome in our country. Also, his visit is very beneficial to our country in many aspects, from reputation to the economy," he said.
Many of the priests, nuns and laypeople administering to the 1,400-strong Catholic community in Mongolia turned out for the pope's afternoon address at the cathedral, in which he praised their missionary work.
- China's doorstep -
Francis' trip drew pilgrims from the wider region, including Chinese Catholics, with about a dozen waving the country's flag during the welcome ceremony Saturday and others later unfurling a large flag outside the cathedral.
Also making the trip was Stephen Chow, Archbishop of Hong Kong, who is due to be named a cardinal later this month by Francis.
AFP heard one Chinese visitor advising another not to speak with reporters, for fear of "trouble" upon their return to China.
But another told AFP that seeing the pope will "basically be like seeing Jesus".
"There are a lot of Catholics in China who wanted to come, but they couldn't make it. So we feel quite blessed," the woman said.
The pope, who had a hernia operation in June, was gingerly taking steps with a cane when not in a wheelchair.
On Sunday, his last full day before his departure Monday, Francis will lead an interreligious meeting and conduct mass inside a newly built ice hockey arena.
Chinese flock to Mongolia hoping for papal visit of their own
Ulaanbaatar (AFP) Sept 2, 2023 -
Chinese Catholics flocked to Mongolia's capital to see Pope Francis this weekend, getting a glimpse of grand public expressions of religious faith unthinkable back home, and visitors expressed hope that the pontiff could one day visit them.
China is home to some 12 million Catholics, who for decades found themselves torn between Communist party-approved worship and underground churches backed by the Vatican.
And this weekend, with the pope on their doorstep for the first ever papal visit to Mongolia, some journeyed to see him for themselves.
In Ulaanbaatar's central square, AFP saw a Chinese flag unfurled as supporters gathered to see the pope -- several wearing masks and sunglasses that concealed their faces.
One visitor said she and her companions had to be "very low-key".
"We were asked at customs why we are (going abroad) and whether we are Catholics. We said we were here for travel," she said.
There is "a lot of pressure on Catholics in China", she explained.
"We also worry that when we return, we will be invited for 'chats'," she said, using a common euphemism for being summoned for questioning by state security officials.
The visitor said she and a group of about 20 had come from across northern China to see the pope.
"We dare not to make our trip known to others."
The Communist Party is officially atheist and exercises strict control over all recognised religious institutions, including vetting sermons and choosing bishops.
Pope Francis led a years-long effort to build ties with Beijing and in 2018 the Holy See reached a secretive agreement allowing both sides a say in appointing bishops in China.
Visitors in Mongolia told AFP of hopes that ties could warm further -- and that the pope could even one day visit.
"I hope that the pope comes to China," a 75-year-old Catholic surnamed Kong -- who said she has raised 48 orphans by herself -- told AFP.
Both sides "should talk diplomatically", she said.
Tamir Amarjargal, a 26-year-old tourist from China's Inner Mongolia, while not a Catholic, expressed similar hopes.
"It's very rare for the pope to visit Asia," he said.
- 'Very excited' -
"Mongolia is so close to us, so I'm here to see him. There are quite a few Catholics in my group, who are very excited to see the pope for the first time," he explained.
"I hope he could visit China one day. That would be even better."
Lu Lei, 38, a petroleum engineer from China's northern Heilongjiang province, told AFP he was interested in Catholic culture, though not a believer himself.
He said he had watched the TV drama "The Young Pope" -- a satirical series about a fictional conservative American pontiff, played by Jude Law -- in preparation for the visit.
"Definitely I hope the pope will visit us in China too," he said.
"Every country should support different religions and let its people choose their own religion freely."
China's constitution does guarantee religious freedom.
But rights groups say religious organisations face routine persecution and that freedom to worship is severely curtailed -- a trend they say has worsened under President Xi Jinping's rule.
"We can't enter churches on sensitive days, like Easter, Christmas Day" due to intimidation from authorities, one Chinese visitor in Ulaanbaatar said.
The authorities say "one thing, and do another", she said.
AFP heard one visitor advising another not to speak with reporters, for fear of "trouble" upon their return to China.
"I think you know why we aren't able to say much," one woman waiting at the cathedral said.
"You know how it is."
Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
