Pope Francis wrapped up a historic visit to Mongolia this week. So why was China keeping such a close eye on the trip?
Mongolia is a country of just over 3 million mostly Buddhist residents. And there’s a good chance each of the country’s 1500 Catholics were in the same building this week to see Pope Francis’ historic trip to the landlocked country.
But despite the trip being held entirely within Mongolia much of the focus was on the superpower next door, and China’s poor record on religious freedom.
Pope Francis explicitly said the trip was not about converting people, but given the Vatican’s poor relationship with China, tensions were tense throughout the trip.
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