Pope returns from Mongolia trip dominated by China

AFP | Ulaanbaatar

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Pope Francis returned to Rome yesterday after the first papal voyage to Mongolia, expressing admiration for its people and those of neighbour China while acknowledging such trips were getting harder to make.

The 86-year-old ventured to the vast, isolated Central Asian nation as a gesture of support to its tiny Catholic community, but the trip was overshadowed by apparent overtures to Beijing, with whom the Vatican for years has struggled to make inroads.

“Relations with China are very respectful, very. I have a great admiration for the Chinese people,” the pope told reporters on his flight home. He added: “I think we need to go further on the religious side to understand each other better.