People wave Chinese and Hong Kong flags, as Pope Francis arrives to attend the Holy Mass in the Steppe Arena, during his Apostolic Journey in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia September 3, 2023.
Mongolia was part of China until 1921 and the pope's trip was dotted by allusions or appeals to the superpower next door, where the Vatican has scratchy relations with the communist government.
At the end of Sunday's Mass he sent greetings to China, calling its citizens a "noble" people and asking Catholics in China to be "good Christians and good citizens."
On Saturday, in words that appeared to be aimed at China rather than Mongolia, Francis said governments have nothing to fear from the Catholic Church because it has no political agenda.
Beijing has been following a policy of "Sinicisation" of religion, trying to root out foreign influences and enforce obedience to the Communist Party.
Persons:
Pope Francis, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Francis, Mercy, Italian Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Philip Pullella, Michael Perry
Organizations:
REUTERS, Catholic, Communist Party, United, Thomson
Locations:
Hong Kong, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, ULAANBAATAR, China, Italian, Beijing, United States, Iran, Russia, Vatican