Pope Francis praised the quot;wisdomquot; of the Mongolian people Saturday, in harmony with nature and embracing spirituality, while warning the young democracy of risks such as corruption and environmental ruin.
The 86-year-oldnbsp;Francis, on the first papal visit to the Asian nation sandwiched between China and Russia, was feted with an official welcome ceremony that included a phalanx of Mongolian horsemen in metal armour parading past the State Palace. nbsp;
The pope, who waved to the crowd in front of a massive bronze statue of Genghis Khan as a group of young Mongolian Catholics yelled #39;Viva il Papa!#39;, is seeking a neutral ally in the sensitive region as he seeks to improvenbsp;Vaticanrelations with both ofnbsp;Mongolia#39;s neighbours.nbsp;
Welcomed by President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, who donned the traditional quot;deelquot; tunic, Pope Francis called himself a quot;pilgrim of friendshipquot; and extolled the virtues of the country, including its quot;ranchers and planters respectful of the delicate balances of the ecosystemquot;.
Mongolia#39;s Shamanist and Buddhist traditions of living in harmony with nature and its creatures quot;can contribute significantly to the urgent and no longer deferrable efforts to protect and preserve planet Earthquot;, he said.
Francis also praised Mongolia for its religious tolerance and nuclear-free policy, but warned thatnbsp;corruptionnbsp;was quot;the fruit of a utilitarian and unscrupulous mentality that has impoverished whole countriesquot;.
Religions can quot;represent a safeguard against the insidious threat of corruption, which effectively represents a serious menace to the development of any human communityquot;, he said.
Mongolia has been marred by corruption and environmental degradation in recent years, with its capital suffering from some of the world#39;s worst air quality and a scandal over embezzlement by officials sparking street protests last year.
Vast swathes of the country#39;s territory are also at risk of desertification due tonbsp;climate change, overgrazing and mining.
Michel Chambon, a scholar of Catholics in Asia, told AFP ahead of the visit that Francis might warn civil authorities of their duty to support democratic principles in more than name.nbsp;
quot;Francis may be thinking, #39;I#39;m willing to play the game of coming here, attracting attention and showing how you#39;re a multi-religious, respectful country… but by the way, where are you in terms of political inclusion, anti-corruption efforts?#39;quot;
Global figure
In the vast Sukhbaatar Plaza, named for a Mongol revolutionary hero, more than 1,000 pilgrims and others hoped to catch a glimpse of the leader of the world#39;s 1.3 billion Catholics.
In the crowd was Mongolian Enkhtur Dagvadorj, who said Francis quot;seems a great person. He is indeed a global figure.quot;nbsp;
quot;Although Mongolians are Buddhists, it is lovely to receive a Pope from Rome in our country. Also, his visit is very beneficial to our country in many aspects, from reputation to the economy,quot; he said.
The visit by the Argentine Jesuit will provide a boost to local Catholics, one of the smallest and youngest communities in the global reach of the Church at only about 1,400 members ndash; including just 25 priests, two of them Mongolian, and 33 nuns.
The trip represents his desire to bring the Church#39;s message to remote, largely ignored areas far from Rome, but it also has the undeniably geopolitical aim of helping the Vatican keep the door open to the greater region.
China#39;s doorstep
Francis#39; trip to the doorstep ofnbsp;China, which has never extended an invitation for the pope to visit, drew some Chinese Catholics, with about a dozen waving the country#39;s flag during the welcome ceremony.nbsp;
AFP heard one visitor advising another not to speak with reporters, for fear of quot;troublequot; upon their return to China.
But one Chinese woman in attendance told AFP that seeing the pope will quot;basically be like seeing Jesusquot;.
quot;There are a lot of Catholics in China who wanted to come, but they couldn#39;t make it. So we feel quite blessed,quot; she said.
The Holy See renewed a deal last year with Beijing that allows both sides a say in appointing bishops in China, a move critics have called a dangerous Vatican concession in exchange for a presence in the country.
Beijing#39;s Communist Party is officially atheist and exercises strict control over all recognised religious institutions, including vetting sermons and choosing bishops.
In a comment that appeared directed at China, the pope told a gathering of the faithful at Ulaanbaatar#39;s Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral that governments have quot;nothing to fearquot; from the Church.
quot;She has no political agenda to advance, but is sustained by the quiet power of God#39;s grace and a message of mercy and truth, which is meant to promote the good of all,quot; he said.
The pope, who underwent a hernia operation in June, appeared to have difficulty walking Saturday, gingerly taking steps with a cane when not in a wheelchair.nbsp;
On Sunday, Francis will lead an interreligious meeting and conduct mass inside a newly built ice hockey arena. —nbsp;(AFP)
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