ROME – A group of Chinese Catholics were so thrilled to see the Pope close to home that they invented excuses to make the trip to Mongolia, and remained worried that they might be discovered. One man who spoke on behalf of the group asked to remain anonymous for fear of government backlash after returning home.
Speaking to journalists, the man said there are several groups of Chinese Catholics in Mongolia for Pope Francis’s visit, and that there are around a hundred in his own group. Though he didn’t know exactly how many would come, he said “there will be many,” with others coming from “all over the country.”
The man said they came to Mongolia because “we want to see our religious leader,” and that they had wanted to travel to Portugal to see Pope Francis while he was there for World Youth Day at the beginning of August, but “it didn’t work out.”
Asked if it was dangerous for them to be in Mongolia for the papal visit, the man said “yes,” and that “we have a lot of people who have been rejected because of government control. We might get investigated we when we get back, but I think God will help us.”
On what the consequences of a potential government investigation might be, the man said, “I don’t know,” but that seeing the Pope is worth it, because for him, the Pope means “faith.”
He spoke at the official welcoming ceremony for Pope Francis at the presidential palace in Ulaanbaatar, the first official event on the pope’s itinerary in Mongolia, after which the Holy Father held a private meeting with President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh and gave a public address to national civil authorities.
Pope Francis is currently making a 4-day visit to the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. His arrival Friday made him the first pontiff to ever set foot in Mongolia, which is bordered by China to the south and Russia to the north.
The visit is the closest a pope has ever come to China or Russia, with whom the Vatican has had a tenuous relationship that Francis has strenuously sought to heal in order to ensure the Catholic faith’s presence in the rapidly growing East.
Prior to the Pope’s arrival in Mongolia, reports circulated stating that while Chinese authorities agreed to allow the papal ITA Airways flight carrying the pontiff to fly over China’s airspace en route to Ulaanbaatar, they have barred Catholic bishops and faithful from the mainland from traveling to Mongolia for the papal visit.
The remarks of the Chinese Catholics who were present at Pope Francis’s official welcome ceremony backs up these reports.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, who prior to the Pope’s departure said Catholics from both Russia and China, as well as other surrounding countries, were expected to attend the Holy Father’s public Mass on Sunday afternoon, declined to comment about the reports, but said Catholics from China “will be present” for the papal Mass.
Catholic pilgrims from Hong Kong also present at the Pope’s official welcome ceremony voiced their excitement to see Pope Francis, as well as their hope that the Holy Father’s visit would open a door with Chinese authorities.
The Bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal-designate Stephen Chow – who will receive his red hat from Pope Francis on 30 September, is also in Mongolia for the Pope’s visit, and was present at the welcome ceremony on Saturday morning.
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