The geopolitically significant visit will be closely watched by Russia, which controlled Mongolia during the Soviet era, and China, which seeks to exert its influence through the Belt and Road Initiative.
No pope has visited those nations, and Francis is likely to choose to fly over China rather than Russia, which is at war with Ukraine. In accordance with papal custom, Francis is expected to send a telegram of acknowledgment to the Chinese authorities, who will scrutinize every word, said Giorgio Bernadelli, editorial coordinator for the missionary news organization Asia News.
Francis has tried to maintain a diplomatic attitude with the two countries. He has sent an envoy to Russia to try a peace deal with Ukraine and has tried to maintain balanced relations with China, which violated a 2018 agreement on the appointment of bishops.
The schedule for the September 1-4 trip includes a day of rest upon arrival, in recognition of recent health problems for the 86-year-old pontiff. Recently, he was hospitalized for hernia repair.
The reception ceremony, on September 2, will take place in Sukhbaatar Square in the capital Ulaanbataar, near an imposing statue of Mongolian Emperor Chinggis Khan, a symbol of the country’s former glories.
Later, he will meet with the president and other authorities and deliver the first of four planned speeches, one to a meeting of authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps and another to a group of bishops, priests, missionaries and lay people.
Mongolia has 77 missionaries and a single bishop to care for 1,500 Catholics, Bernadelli said, so priests and bishops from the recently created Central Asian bishops’ conference, which also includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, are likely to attend.
The pope will celebrate mass on Sunday at the Arena Estepa, his main public event, after delivering a speech at an ecumenical and interfaith gathering. On the last day, he will inaugurate the charity “House of Mercy” and will give his last speech before leaving.
The inauguration of the Catholic charity is a significant step, Bernadelli said, a sign of the church’s advance in a nation officially atheist under the Soviets and where Buddhism is the predominant religion.
“It will be very important for the Catholic community, which is very small and very spread out, to unite around the pope,” he said.
Mongolia has struggled to maintain its political and economic independence both from Russia, which supplies virtually all of its energy, and from China, the rising regional power that buys more than 90% of its mining exports, mainly coal and copper.
FUENTE: Associated Press
