ULAANBAATAR (UCAN): The Catholic Church in Mongolia has built a “House of Mercy”—a charity centre for migrants and destitute in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, that Pope Francis will inaugurate and bless during his first visit to the central Asian nation from September 1-4.
The pope will attend a series of programmes including meeting with local Catholic clergy, religious and laypeople as well as top government officials and leaders of various faith groups.
The theme of the apostolic journey to Mongolia is “Hoping Together.”
The opening of the House of Mercy in Ulaanbaatar’s Bayangol district will be the pope’s final public event before he heads back to Rome on September 4, Fides reported on July 12.
The centre is a symbol of love and compassion for the weaker sections of society from Mongolia’s small Catholic Church which counts around 1,500 members and 77 missionaries, the report said.
The project started in 2019 thanks to efforts by Giorgio Cardinal Marengo, and apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaatar.
The opening of the House of Mercy in Ulaanbaatar’s Bayangol district will be the pope’s final public event before he heads back to Rome on September 4
Cardinal Marengo’s idea was to open “a social centre that would take care of women and minors who are victims of domestic violence.”
Domestic violence is prevalent in the country due to its male-dominant social system, reports say.
About 57.9 per cent of married women and 46.8 per cent of children faced some kind of domestic abuse in 2020, according to International Development Law Organisation.
The centre sees itself as “a place where people with problems … can find comfort and peace,” Fides reported.
The project has received funding from Caritas and the papal charity, Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS), Australia.
A three-story building with a basement has been set up in an abandoned school complex formerly owned by the Sisters of St Paul de Chartres.
It will serve not only as a temporary shelter for women and minors who have had to flee their homes after suffering abuse, but also as a first-aid facility where the homeless will receive medical care.
Most homeless are not registered with the national health system and therefore do not have access to treatment in public health facilities, Fides reported.
An important mission of the centre is to promote the re-establishment of contact between the homeless and their families in order to initiate “family reunification processes.” It also aims to become a temporary accommodation facility for migrants who arrive in the city and have no local relatives or friends who can provide them with initial support.
Media reported that Cardinal-elect Stephen Chow Sau Yan, sj, of Hong Kong was invited to lead a delegation to meet with representative of the Church in Mongolia and express the brotherhood of the local Churches in their common endeavour for synodality.
