(ZENIT News / Ulan Bator, 09.04.2023).- On the morning of Monday, September 4th, before departing from the Apostolic Prefecture of Ulan Bator, Pope Francis met with the former President of Mongolia, Nambar Enkhbayar, with whom he had a cordial conversation.
Subsequently, after bidding farewell to the staff and benefactors of the Apostolic Prefecture, Pope Francis traveled by car to the House of Mercy, where, at 9:30 AM (local time), he met with pastoral workers involved in Charity and inaugurated a facility.
Upon his arrival at the entrance of the House of Mercy, Pope Francis was welcomed by the institution’s Director, Father Andrew Tran Le Phuong, S.D.B.
Following the opening hymn and the welcoming address by the Director of the House of Mercy, a representative from the Health Group gave their testimony, followed by a dance performance by young individuals from Catholic educational facilities. Next, after a worker’s testimony, Pope Francis delivered a speech.
At the end of the meeting, following the recitation of the Ave Maria, the blessing, and the final song, the Supreme Pontiff blessed the plaque naming the charitable center. He then proceeded to Ulan Bator’s Chinggis Khaan International Airport for the farewell ceremony in Mongolia.
Farewell at the Airport
Upon his arrival at the airport, Pope Francis was received by Mongolia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Batmunkh Battsetseg. Subsequently, after the greetings of the respective Delegations and the local entourage, Pope Francis boarded an A330/ITA Airways aircraft to return to Italy.
The plane carrying the Holy Father on his return from the Apostolic Journey to Mongolia took off from Ulan Bator’s Chinggis Khaan International Airport at 12:03 PM (local time) and landed at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino at 4:01 PM (Rome time).
