Pope Francis has praised Mongolian spiritual liberty ever since he began the journey. The landlocked nation shares a border with China, which human rights organizations claim represses religious liberty.
At the conclusion of Mass, the bishop sent welcome to China and another preliminary to Beijing to loosen religious restrictions.
” WISDOM’S Old Universities”
Leaders from Tibetan Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, protestant and Orthodox Christians, Mormons and Hindus as well as Shinto, Bahais, and druids attended the inter-religious gathering.
” Brothers and sisters, we are gathering today as the lowly heirs of old schools of wisdom.” For the purpose of enriching a humanity so frequently misled on its voyage by the nearsighted pursuit of profit and material comfort, he said,” in our experience with one another, we want to share the wonderful gold we have received.”
Pope Francis, 86, noted that it was similar to Jesus’ saying,” It is more blessed to give than to receive ,” and quoted from a writing of the Buddha that states that” the wise man rejoices in giving.”
The pope has been criticized by traditional Catholics, including Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan, for attending such events, calling them” a retailer of faiths” that denigrates the Catholic Church.