The Smartest Investors Club
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World

The Smartest Investors Club

World

Pope tells Chinese Catholics to be ‘good citizens’ as he hosts mass in neighboring Mongolia

by September 4, 2023
September 4, 2023
Pope tells Chinese Catholics to be ‘good citizens’ as he hosts mass in neighboring Mongolia

Pope Francis urged Chinese Catholics to be “good citizens” and “good Christians,” a rare instance of the Holy Father publicly addressing the issue of religion in China.

Francis’ seemingly off-the-cuff comments came during his Sunday Mass in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar.

The trip has been scrutinized because of both its historic nature – it is the the first ever by a Pope to the sparsely populated Asian nation – but also because of its potential geopolitical reverberations. Mongolia is sandwiched between Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine Francis has publicly criticized, and China, an atheist state where religious practice is heavily curtailed by the government.

Officially there are about 6 million Catholics in China, but the number may be higher when counting those who practice at underground churches to avoid Beijing’s watchful eye.

At the end of Mass, Pope Francis took the hands of the current Bishop of Hong Kong, cardinal-designate Stephen Chow, and his predecessor, Cardinal John Tong, calling them “brother bishops” before addressing China’s Catholics

Francis said he wanted to take advantage of their presence at his Mass in Mongolia “to send a warm greeting to the noble Chinese people.” Hong Kong’s Catholic leaders play an important role in navigating Vatican-Beijing relations, as the territory allows its citizens greater freedom of religion than in mainland China.

“To the entire people I wish the best, go forward, always progress. And to the Chinese Catholics, I ask you to be good Christians and good citizens.”

China may be officially an atheist state, but religious practice is legal in the country – albeit under tight government supervision and surveillance.

Catholicism is one of five state-recognized faiths, but state-sanctioned Catholic churches were for decades by bishops chosen and ordained by Beijing, not the Holy See, until the two sides reached an agreement in 2018. Details of the accord have never been made public.

Francis landed in Mongolia Friday for a trip that has lacked the usual fanfare of a Papal visit.

There are only 1,500 Catholics in the entire country of 3.5 million, but that number has grown significantly in the decades following country’s transformation from communist one-party rule to multiparty democracy in the 1990s. According to Vatican News, there were only 14 Catholics in the country in 1995.

The 86-year-old Pontiff spent the first day of his trip resting. He met with Mongolian political leaders on Saturday and on Sunday attended an inter-religious meeting alongside representatives from various religious communities, including Buddhists, Shamans, Muslim, Jews, and evangelicals and Russian Orthodox Christians.

This post appeared first on cnn.com
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
World Cup kiss scandal hasn’t damaged Spanish brand, prime minister says
next post
Russia sees biggest drone assault on its own territory since invading Ukraine, as Kyiv strikes back through the skies

You may also like

Timeline of how Trump’s pledge to end the...

Train collision kills at least four in Czech...

With Gaza quiet, Israel is turning its focus...

Poland’s new leader is bent on restoring democracy...

Trump and Zelensky’s fiery exchange underlines US pivot...

Police rush to reports of ‘ritual mass murder,’...

Astronomers discover strange new type of star hidden...

The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in 4 maps and charts

United States fights back to beat Great Britain...

Hamas says ready to maintain direct talks with...

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest

    • Trump’s tax hike proposal is ‘déjà vu’ of George H. W. Bush’s...

    • Pope Francis-era deal with Chinese Communist Party again under scrutiny as Pope Leo takes the reins

    • Diver dies in preliminary operations to recover tech tycoon’s sunken superyacht

    • Metals and Mining Virtual Investor Conference: Presentations Now Available for Online Viewing

    • Vance says India-Pakistan conflict ‘none of our business’ as Trump offers US help

    Categories

    • Business (1,633)
    • Investing (4,792)
    • Politics (7,543)
    • World (6,131)
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • About us

    Disclaimer: thesmartestinvestorsclub.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 thesmartestinvestorsclub.com | All Rights Reserved


    Back To Top