Pope Leo XIV Deepens Ties With Mongolian Buddhists
Cardinal Marengo thanked the Holy Father after surgery; both will attend the Community of Sant'Egidio's interreligious meeting in Assisi.
Pope Leo XIV granted a private audience at the Vatican on Monday morning, October 26, to Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar and president of the Central Asian bishops' conference, along with Venerable D. Javzandorj, the 30th Khamba Nomun Khan and abbot of Gandantegchinlen Monastery.
Known as Gandan, the monastery is Mongolia's largest and most important Buddhist center and a driving force of Buddhist revival and education in the country. The private audience underscored the ongoing dialogue and cooperation between the Catholic Church and the Buddhist community in Mongolia.
Cardinal Marengo described the encounter as cordial. He expressed gratitude for the Pope's kindness in granting the audience despite a demanding schedule and the Holy Father's recovery from surgery. The Mongolian ambassadors to Italy and to the Holy See accompanied the cardinal and the abbot.
This meeting is the third papal audience granted to a Mongolian Buddhist delegation, confirming a sustained pattern of contacts between the Holy See and Mongolian Buddhist leaders.
Catholics in Mongolia
The Catholic community in Mongolia numbers about 1,700 faithful. They are served by a single local priest under the care of Cardinal Marengo, whose Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar covers the nation's Catholic life. In that setting, cooperation with Gandan and its abbot carries particular weight for a Church that remains small yet fully joined to the universal communion around the Successor of Peter.
From the Vatican to Assisi
On October 27, Cardinal Marengo and Venerable D. Javzandorj will participate in the interreligious meeting in Assisi organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio. The gathering brings representatives of the world's religions to the city of Saint Francis for shared prayer and dialogue in service of peace.
The Holy Father's reception of the Mongolian delegation, and the subsequent presence of both the cardinal and the abbot at Assisi, join the pastoral care of Mongolia's Catholics, respect for the country's Buddhist heritage, and the Church's wider work of interreligious encounter.