When Pope Francis visited Mongolia Aug. 31-Sept. 1, representing one of the church’s smallest and most remote communities, it showcased his repeated love of the peripheries and served as an opportunity to introduce the Catholic Church and its works to a place still largely unfamiliar with Christianity.
While Pope Francis is in Mongolia Aug. 31-Sept. 4, not only will the geopolitical undertones of the visit be on full display, but so will his affinity for the global and ecclesial peripheries, as he meets one of the Catholic Church’s smallest flocks.
Temüjin, a fearsome general and emperor of the Mongols, is better known to history by his title “Genghis Khan,” which roughly translates as “universal leader.” In the 13th and 14th centuries, he formed the largest empire the world has ever known by uniting all Mongol tribes under his rule.
In a video series published ahead of Pope Francis’ Aug. 31-Sept. 4 visit to Mongolia, Cardinal Giorgio Marengo said the papal trip showcases the pope’s love of the peripheries and allows the voice of one of the Church’s smallest flocks to be heard.
