The Pope towards Mongolia is a territory that must be understood with the senses – news

“Someone asked me about my trip to Mongolia, a small people in a big land. Mongolia seems never-ending, and people are few in number. It would be good for us to understand this silence, so long, so great. It would be good for us” Rather, with the senses. It would be good to hear some of the music of Borodin, who was able to express the greatness of Mongolia.” Pope Francis stated this during the flight that took him to Mongolia, where he received the journalists on board. The Apostolic Journey that will take the Pope to Mongolia from 31 August to September 4, under the theme “Hope Together”, is the 43rd voyage of his papacy and will bring together the countries visited by Francis, the first pope, to the 61 countries that still live on in the legend of Genghis Khan. Rome and Ulaanbaatar are particularly long and demanding: 9 and a half hours round trip, 11 and 20 hours round trip Six hours time zone The program includes political, institutional and pastoral encounters with the small local Catholic community and interfaith meetings The Pope is scheduled to deliver five sermons, all in the language Italian, during the four days he will spend in Mongolia.

The first two days will be devoted exclusively to air travel and official reception. On Thursday August 31, the Pope will depart Fiumicino Airport at 6.30 pm for Ulaanbaatar, where he will land the next day – Friday September 1 – at 10.00 local time (4 am in Italy) at Genghis Khan International Airport, where he is also expected to There will be an official reception. We then move on, without other dates to get rid of the length of the trip and the time zone, to Saturday 2nd September, when the welcome party is scheduled for 9.00 local time (3 in the Italian night) in Sukhbaatar Square, at 9.30 (3.30 in Italian) courtesy visit to the President Mongolia’s Ukhnagyn Khorlsukh at the State Palace; 10:20 (04:20 Italian time) Meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic community in the “Ikh Mongul” room of the Statu Palace. Then at 11.00 (5.00 Italian time) the meeting with the President of the Great Council of State, Mongolia’s unicameral parliament; 11.10 (5.10 Italian time) Meeting with Prime Minister Lovsanemsrine Oyon Erden. In the afternoon at 16.00 (10.00 Italian time) a meeting with the bishops, priests, missionaries, consecrated men and women and pastoral workers in the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

On Sunday, September 3, in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, the Ecumenical Interfaith Meeting is scheduled for 10:00 (4:00 in Italy) in the “Hun Theater” and at 16:00 (10:00 in Italy) Mass in the “Steppe Square”. The meeting with philanthropists and the opening of the Casa della Misericordia are scheduled for Monday 4 September, the last day of the visit; at 11:30 (5:30 Italian time) the farewell ceremony at Genghis Khan International Airport; At 12.00 local time (6.00 Italian time) the Pope departs for Rome, and is expected to arrive in Fiumicino at 17.20.