Pope Francis has said that Jesus Christ did not give a political mandate to his apostles but instead told them to alleviate the sufferings of wounded humanity through faith.

Pope Francis said this while speaking to bishops, priests and pastoral workers on Saturday, September 2, 2023, on his first ever papal visit to Mongolia.

He urged governments and secular institutions not to fear the church’s work of evangelism in the nation located between Russia and China, adding that, the role of the church is to preach the power of God’s grace, mercy and truth, virtues meant to better lives in peace and love.

Pope Francis prayed that heaven grants renewed respect of international laws and peace to the devastated world that is currently facing countless conflicts.

He added that, the world has the same origin that can pass the same dignity on everyone and a shared path that humanity can live together residing under the same space that God has provided.

The Pope’s concern comes as military coups sweep through African countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, Mali and the latest being in Gabon while there are also conflicts in other countries like Russia, Ukraine, and Syria, among others.

According to media reports, Chinese Catholics flocked Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar to have a glance on the Pope. Mongolia is mainly a Buddhist country. However, currently, the region has about 1.450 Catholics, which country is one of the newest and smallest catholic communities.

While Christianity has been present in the region for hundreds of years, the Catholic Church has only had a sanctioned presence in Mongolia since 1992, after the country abandoned its Soviet-allied communist government and enshrined religious freedom in its constitution.