Archbishop Gallagher in Mongolia

By Vatican News

Twenty-four hours after the announcement by the Vatican Press Office of the apostolic journey that will see Pope Francis in Mongolia between 31 August and 4 September, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher set off for the Asian country. This mission, which has been on the agenda for some time, is part of the framework of bilateral relations between the Holy See and Mongolia. It is scheduled to wrap up on Tuesday.

Mass and meeting with missionaries

The Secretariat of State outlined Archbishop Gallagher’s schedule in a tweet explaining that the first event on his calendar was a concelebration of the Eucharist in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Ulaanbaatar, the country's capital, followed by a meeting with the local missionary community.

Meetings with Mongolian leaders

On Monday the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States and with International Organizations is engaged series of meetings with Mongolian authorities, including the Foreign Minister, Mrs Batmunkh Battsetseg and the country’s Premier, Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erden.

Tuesday's scheduled engagements will see the Vatican representative in talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh before visiting the Chinggis Khan National Museum, a modern building inaugurated last year that exhibits more than 12,000 historical artefacts offer a wide-ranging perspective on Genghis Khan's empire and subsequent ones.