New Delhi: Amid tenuous relations between the Vatican and China over the appointment of Catholic bishops, Pope Francis in Mongolia said that governments need not be afraid of the Catholic Church as it has no “political agenda”, news agency Reuters reported. The Pope’s remarks, during his first papal visit to the Buddhist-majority nation, was apparently aimed at China, reported the agency.
Addressing the bishops, priests, missionaries and pastoral workers, the 86-year-old Jesuit said Jesus Christ gave no political mandate to his disciples but told them to alleviate the sufferings of a "wounded humanity" through faith.
"For this reason, governments and secular institutions have nothing to fear from the Church’s work of evangelization, for she has no political agenda to advance, but is sustained by the quiet power of God's grace and a message of mercy and truth, which is meant to promote the good of all," Reuters quoted Pope Francis as saying.
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According to the report, the main objective of the Pope coming to Mongolia was to visit the country’s tiny Catholic community, which in one of the smallest in the world with 1,450 members.
In his address to the president, government leaders and the diplomatic corps, Pope Francis said he was just a “pilgrim of friendship who comes to you quietly”, reported the news agency.
During his visit, the Mongolian government greeted him with traditional events such a parade, including men on horseback dressed as ancient Mongol warriors, reported Reuters.
It is to be noted that China has been following a policy of "Sinicisation" of religion, in its efforts to root out foreign influences and enforce obedience to the Communist Party.
China and the Vatican signed an agreement in 2018 on the appointment of Catholic bishops, however, Beijing has violated it several times since then, as per reports.