Current:Home > InvestPope praises Mongolia’s tradition of religious freedom from times of Genghis Khan at start of visit -GrowthInsight
Pope praises Mongolia’s tradition of religious freedom from times of Genghis Khan at start of visit
View
Date:2025-04-13 16:08:40
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday praised Mongolia’s tradition of religious freedom dating to the times of its founder, Genghis Khan, as he opened the first-ever papal visit to the Asian nation with a plea for peace and an end to the “insidious threat of corruption.”
Francis met with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh inside a traditional Mongolian ger, or round yurt, set up inside the state palace, and wrote a message in the guest book that he was visiting Mongolia, “a country young and ancient, modern and rich of tradition,” as a pilgrim of peace.
“May the great clear sky, which embraces the Mongolian land, illuminate new paths of fraternity,” he wrote.
Francis is visiting Mongolia to minister to its young Catholic community of 1,450 and make a diplomatic foray into a region where the Holy See has long had troubled relations, with Russia to the north and China to the south.
While Christianity has been present in the region for hundreds of years, the Catholic Church has only had a sanctioned presence in Mongolia since 1992, after the country abandoned its Soviet-allied communist government and enshrined religious freedom in its constitution.
In his remarks, Francis praised Mongolia’s tradition of religious liberty, noting that such tolerance existed even during the period of the Mongol Empire’s vast expansion over much of the world. At its height, the empire stretched as far west as Hungary and remains the largest contiguous land empire in world history.
“The fact that the empire could embrace such distant and varied lands over the centuries bears witness to the remarkable ability of your ancestors to acknowledge the outstanding qualities of the peoples present in its immense territory and to put those qualities at the service of a common development,” Francis said. “This model should be valued and re-proposed in our own day.”
Francis, however, noted the need to combat corruption, an apparent reference to a scandal over Mongolia’s trade with China over the alleged theft of 385,000 tons of coal. In December, hundreds of people braved freezing cold temperatures in the capital to protest the scandal.
Francis warned about the threat represented by today’s consumerist spirit and said religions can help guard against an “individualistic mindset that cares little for others and for sound, established traditions.”
“At the same time, they also represent a safeguard against the insidious threat of corruption, which effectively represents a serious menace to the development of any human community; corruption is the fruit of a utilitarian and unscrupulous mentality that has impoverished whole countries,” he said. “It is a sign of a vision that fails to look up to the sky and flees the vast horizons of fraternity, becoming instead self-enclosed and concerned with its own interests alone.”
The Mongolian government has declared 2023 to be an “anti-corruption year” and says it is carrying out a five-part plan based on Transparency International, the global anti-graft watchdog that ranked Mongolia 116th last year in its corruption perceptions index.
Later Saturday, Francis was to meet with the priests and missionaries who tend to the country’s tiny Catholic community at the capital’s St. Peter and Paul Cathedral.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- British golfer Charley Hull blames injury, not lack of cigarettes, for poor Olympic start
- Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on Election Day? Here's what we know
- Dawn Staley is more than South Carolina's women's basketball coach. She's a transcendent star.
- JonBenét Ramsey Docuseries Investigates Mishandling of Case 28 Years After Her Death
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- The adult industry is booming. Here's what you need to know about porn and addiction.
- Rudy Giuliani cleared out his apartment weeks before court deadline to turn over assets, lawyers say
- Connor McDavid ankle injury update: Where does Edmonton Oilers star stand in his recovery?
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Opinion: Women's sports are on the ballot in this election, too
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Horoscopes Today, November 3, 2024
- Remains of nearly 30 Civil War veterans found in a funeral home’s storage are laid to rest
- New York's decision to seize, euthanize Peanut the Squirrel is a 'disgrace,' owner says
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Cardinals rushing attack shines as Marvin Harrison Jr continues to grow into No. 1 WR
- Can the Kansas City Chiefs go undefeated? How they could reach 17-0 in 2024
- Abortion is on the ballot in nine states and motivating voters across the US
Recommendation
Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
The final day of voting in the US is here, after tens of millions have already cast their ballots
Mariah Carey Posing With Her Christmas-Themed Wax Figure Will Make Your Wish Come True
Mississippi man dies after a dump truck releases asphalt onto him
Small twin
Control of Congress may come down to a handful of House races in New York
Family pleaded to have assault rifle seized before deadly school shooting. Officers had few options
Surfer bit by shark off Hawaii coast, part of leg severed in attack