ULAANBAATAR(Reuters) -In an unprecedented event, Pope Francis and just about the entire Catholic population of a country were in the same room when he presided at a Mass in Mongolia's capital on Sunday.
The Mass in Ulaanbaatar's Steppe Arena was the religious highlight of the pope's trip to visit the Catholic community of just 1,450. Most of Mongolia's population of about 3.3 million are Buddhists.
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Several Buddhist monks in their saffron robes attended the Mass, which was conducted in Mongolian, English and Italian.
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The inter-religious meeting was attended by leaders representing Mongolian Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, evangelical and Orthodox Christians, Mormons, Hindus, Shintos, Bahais and shamans.
"Brothers and sisters, today we are meeting together as the humble heirs of ancient schools of wisdom. In our encounter with one another, we want to share the great treasure we have received, for the sake of enriching a humanity so often led astray on its journey by the myopic pursuit of profit and material comfort," he said.
Francis,86, quoted from a writing of the Buddha that says "the wise man rejoices in giving", noting it was similar to Jesus' saying "Itis more blessed to give than to receive".
He condemned "narrowness, unilateral imposition, fundamentalism and ideological constraint", saying they destroy fraternity, fuel tensions and compromise peace.
"There can be no mixing, then, of religious beliefs and violence, of holiness and oppression, of religious traditions and sectarianism, "Francis said.
