ULAANBAATAR (Mongolia): Invoking Buddha and referring to himself as one of the “humble heirs” of the ancient schools of wisdom, Pope Francis on Sunday urged all religions to coexist peacefully and to reject violent ideological fanaticism.
A dozen other religious leaders and Francis were on stage together at the interfaith event in the Mongolian capital. This is the kind of event that Francis’ hardline detractors have previously denounced.
The Pope’s trip to Mongolia is primarily intended to meet with the nation’s 1,450-strong Catholic community, which is among the smallest in the world. He should offer mass for them later on Sunday.
Mongolia borders China and the pope also used the trip to send a clear message to Beijing, that it no political agenda.
From the start of the trip, Francis has praised religious freedom in Mongolia, which was severely suppressed when the country was in the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence – a point mentioned by one of the Buddhist leaders who addressed him.
“Religions are called to offer the world this harmony that technological progress alone cannot provide,” Francis said after hearing speeches from leaders representing Mongolian Buddhists, Muslims, Evangelicals, Jews, Orthodox, Mormons, Hindus, Shintos, Baha’is and shamans.
“Brothers and sisters, today we gather together as humble heirs of the ancient schools of wisdom. As we meet each other, we want to share the great treasure we have acquired to enrich humanity, which is so often led astray by the short-sighted pursuit of profit and material comfort,” he said.
Francis quoted from the writings of the Buddha saying that “the wise rejoice in giving”, noting that this was similar to Jesus’ saying “It is more blessed to give than to receive”.
Conservative Catholics such as Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan have criticized the pope for attending such gatherings at all, calling them a “supermarket of religion” that demeans the Catholic Church.
However, the Pope reiterated on Sunday that he places great emphasis on “ecumenical, inter-religious and cultural dialogue”. He said that dialogue does not mean “covering the difference” but seeking understanding and enrichment.
Condemning “anxiety, unilateral imposition, fundamentalism and ideological restrictions”, he said they were destroying brotherhood, fuelling tensions and compromising peace.
“So there can be no mixing of religious faith and violence, holiness and oppression, religious traditions and sectarianism,” Francis said.
Several leaders, including Jewish representative Yair Jacob Porat and a shaman, gave the Pope special blessings from their religions and wished him health and long life.
There are only a handful of permanent Jewish residents in Mongolia, with the community serving mostly tourists and business travellers.
