Pope Francis ended his multi-day visit to Mongolia with the inauguration of a social center. The Catholic community in the second largest landlocked country in the world numbers just 1,500 believers.
The head of the Catholic Church left the East Asian country on Monday afternoon (local time) after an official farewell ceremony at Genghis Khan airport on a special plane from Italian airline Ita bound for Rome.
The 86-year-old had previously opened a social center in the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator and met employees of the church aid organization Caritas there.
First pope in Mongolia
Francis was the first pope to travel to the huge country between Russia and China, which has more than three million inhabitants. During his visit, he focused on strengthening Mongolia’s small Catholic community and promoting dialogue between religions. In his speeches, the pope also commented on the powerful neighboring state of China, which has repeatedly been accused of curtailing religious freedoms and oppressing minorities. Francis encouraged the Christians of Asia to progress in their faith.
The pope is expected back in the Italian capital on Monday evening before returning to the Vatican.
Source: Krone
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