Pope Francis makes historic trip to Mongolia

Pope Francis (87, photo) became the first pope in history to set foot on Mongolian soil on Friday (local time), reported Reuters and other media outlets. The visit is the first time for a pope in the 2,000-year history of Christianity to arrive in Mongolia, a predominantly Buddhist country with Catholics accounting for only about 1% (about 1,450 people) of the population. “We must respond to the insidious threat of corruption,” said the Pope in his first speech in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, warning that corruption was “the fruit of a utilitarian and unscrupulous mentality that has impoverished whole countries.”

Many view that China is the ultimate target behind the Pope’s visit to the country, using Mongolia, which is socially and economically reliant on China, as a stepping stone to try to improve relations with China, which is hostile to the Catholic religion. China, estimated to have up to 12 million Catholics, does not have official diplomatic relations with the Vatican.


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