Pope Francis lands in Mongolia, praises tradition of religious freedom

Updated On: 02 September, 2023 12:41 PM IST | ronak mastakar

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" (Pics/AFP)

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<p>Pope 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</p>

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Pope 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

<p>Pope 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</p>

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Pope 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

<p>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</p>

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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

<p>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</p>

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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

<p>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</p>

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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

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Pope Francis lands in Mongolia, praises tradition of religious freedom

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High tidal waves in Mumbai delay Lalbaugcha Raja`s visarjan