Pope Francis delivered his first speech this Saturday since his arrival in Mongolia during a meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps, and in it he called for an end to nuclear proliferation, an end to corruption and a the diffusion of the culture of solidarity.
The Pontiff has openly shown his opposition to nuclear weapons and has advocated for the construction of peace, reinforcing his commitment to Human Rights, as reported by the Vatican portal 'Vatican News'.
In this sense, he stressed that Mongolia could play a relevant role in getting closer to this objective given "its extensive network of diplomatic relations, its active adherence to the United Nations and commitment to Human Rights."
"Mongolia is not only a democratic nation that pursues a peaceful foreign policy, but also intends to play an important role for world peace," the Pope said, noting the exclusion of capital punishment from the Mongolian legal system.
Thus, paraphrasing a local proverb, Bergoglio has asked that, just as "the clouds pass and the sky remains", that "the dark clouds of war pass, that they dissipate by the firm will of a universal brotherhood in which the tensions resolved on the basis of meetings and dialogue, and that fundamental rights are guaranteed to all".
During his address, the Pontiff also noted the "worm" of corruption, which he described as "a serious threat to the development of any human group that has a utilitarian and unscrupulous mentality."
"Corruption impoverishes entire countries", the Pope has ruled, arguing that "religions that are inspired by their original spiritual patrimony and are not corrupted by sectarian deviations are, in all respects, reliable supports for the construction of healthy and prosperous societies (...), also representing a brake on the dangerous corruption".
In return, Bergoglio has extolled the "culture of care" and solidarity against the "myopic gaze" of those who pursue "a particular interest."
In this sense, the representative of the Vatican has requested "to embrace with our eyes the wide horizon that surrounds us, overcoming narrow visions and opening ourselves to a broad mentality."
As an example of this breadth of vision longed for worldwide, the Pontiff pointed to Mongolia, a country he has praised for the "wisdom" and "spirituality" of its people, its culture, the "exceptional capacity" of its leaders and ancestors to integrate diverse voices and experiences and "his respectful and conciliatory attitude" with tradition, among others.
"For this reason, it was almost natural for you to reach freedom of thought and religion, enshrined in your current Constitution; which has overcome the ideology without bloodshed, the atheist ideology that believed itself obliged to extirpate religious sentiment, considering it a brake on development. Today it is recognized in this essential value of harmony and synergy between faithful of different faiths, who _-each from their point of view-_ contribute to moral and spiritual progress", he praised.
The visit of Pope Francis to Mongolia, which will last until September 4, constitutes his 43rd international apostolic trip as Pontiff and is the first visit by a Pontiff to this country with a geopolitically symbolic location, since it is located between Russia and China. .
With this trip, confirmed on June 3, the Pontiff responds to the invitation of the President of Mongolia and the country's ecclesiastical authorities.
