Pope Francis said that Mongolia has “a small population of great culture,” as he met with reporters who accompanied him on his trip to the landlocked Asian country.
“Mongolia is understood with the senses,” the Pope said as his flight approached the country. “I dare say it will do us good perhaps to listen a little to Borodin’s music, which was able to express what this length and breadth of Mongolia means.”
Upon his arrival in Ulan Bator, the Pontiff was greeted by a woman in traditional dress who offered him a cup of aaruul, a Mongolian yogurt dish. After the brief welcoming ceremony, the Pope was scheduled to spend the first day of his visit resting after the long flight from Rome.
Despite its vast geographical size, Mongolia has only 3.5 million people, and the country’s Catholic population—under 1,500—is among the smallest in the world.