A humble, joyful Church in the heart of God
“I had the grace of meeting, in Mongolia, a humble Church, and a joyful Church, which is in the heart of God”, said Pope Francis as he expressed his gratitude for the experiences and encounters he had during his short and intense visit to Mongolia, which ended on September 4.
Sep 15, 2023

VATICAN: “I had the grace of meeting, in Mongolia, a humble Church, and a joyful Church, which is in the heart of God”, said Pope Francis as he expressed his gratitude for the experiences and encounters he had during his short and intense visit to Mongolia, which ended on September 4.
He said this in his catechesis delivered during the Sept 6 general audience, entirely dedicated to re-proposing images and impressions of the journey, during which he had the opportunity to embrace the Catholic Church and the Mongolian people, “a humble and wise people”.
In the introductory part of the catechesis, Pope Francis shared some of the reasons that made his trip to Mongolia an important moment for every Catholic community in the world.
“One might ask: why did the Pope go so far to visit a small flock of the faithful?” Pope Francis said to the general audience. “Because it is precisely there, far from the spotlight, that we often find the signs of the presence of God, who does not look at appearances, but at the heart.”
“The Lord,” he explained, “does not look for the centre stage, but the simple heart of those who desire Him and love Him without ostentation, without wanting to tower above others. And I had the grace of meeting, in Mongolia, a humble Church and a joyful Church, which is in the heart of God, and I can testify to their joy of finding themselves also at the centre of the Church for a few days.”
The Pope recounted what he called the “touching history” of the Christian community in Mongolia.
“It came about, by the grace of God, from apostolic zeal — on which we are reflecting at the moment — of a few missionaries who, impassioned by the Gospel, went about 30 years ago to that country they did not know,” he said.
“They learned the language — which is not easy — and, despite coming from different nations, gave life to a united and truly Catholic community. This is the meaning of the word “Catholic”, which means “universal”.
He praised the inculturated Catholic community the missionaries formed, saying they did not rely on proselytism to convert people to Christianity but showed how to live the Gospel within the Mongolian culture.
“This is how the Church lives: bearing witness to the love of Jesus meekly, with life before words, happy with its true riches: service to the Lord and to brethren.”
The young Church in Mongolia, added Pope Francis – was born “in the spirit of charity, which is the best witness of faith”. The Pope also mentioned that at the end of his visit, he had the joy of blessing and inaugurating the “House of Mercy”, which he defined as the “first charitable work to be established in Mongolia as an expression of all the components of the local Church.”
“A house,” added the Pope “that is the calling card of those Christians, but that asks every one of our communities to be a house of mercy: that is, an open place, a welcoming place, where the sufferings of each person can enter without shame in contact with God’s mercy, that lifts up and heals”.
Pope Francis is the first pope in history to travel to Mongolia.
During his four days in the large, landlocked Asian country Sept 1-4, he met with government leaders, engaged in interreligious dialogue with Buddhists and people of other Eastern religions, and presided over the first-ever papal Mass for the country’s small Catholic population.
“I was in the heart of Asia, and this did me good. It is good to enter into dialogue with that vast continent, to glean its messages, to know its wisdom, its way of looking at things, to embrace time and space,” Pope Francis said.
“Thinking of the boundless and silent expanses of Mongolia,” he added, “let us be stirred by the need to extend the confines of our gaze, so that we may be able to see the good in others and be capable of broadening our horizons.” — Agencies
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