by Cardinal Stephen Chow, SJ
For a vegetarian who has never been to Mongolia, would I survive with my diet? Would I be advised to feed myself on the massive grasslands instead? Sounds silly, right? But ignorance tends to make us rather silly, coming up with unfounded assumptions and instilling irrational fear and anxiety in us.
After having been there, I can say that it is not easy for vegetarians to enjoy our diet in Mongolia, including Ulaanbaatar, its capital city. I have survived without great difficulties because we do not live on bread alone! My other nourishments came from the friendliness of the locals, the pastoral care of the Holy Father for the Church at the periphery, as well as his great love for the people of China.
In my experience, the Mongolian people in Ulaanbaatar are friendly, polite, and young. Recalling the essentiality of “hospitality” among the nomadic Israelites for their survival in the Old Testament, the Mongolian people also live in a nomadic cultural background, their friendliness towards visitors comes naturally to them. It is we, as urbanites, who have lost sight of this important value in our supposedly ‘safe and self-sufficient’ dwellings. Maybe it is time for us to recover ‘hospitality’ as a meaningful value of life in our daily living, especially towards visitors. The post-pandemic economy tells us how much we need visitors and investors from the Mainland and overseas.
Besides the Mongolian people, another group of individuals I encountered during my trip were the international journalists. Many of them were concerned as to why the Pope chose to visit this small and faraway Church in Mongolia. They find it unbelievable that Pope Francis should take all the trouble to visit this small Church of less than 1,500 Catholics. Does the trip not have more to do with China and Russia?
Well, from the beginning of Francis’ papacy we can see that he has repeatedly emphasised the importance of the Church’s mission for everyone, including those at the frontiers and the fringes of the Church. And he has named new cardinals from the faraway lands in the Church. Therefore, why should it be so unbelievable that Francis has chosen to visit the Mongolian Church? We could see from the faces of the local Catholics how affirmed and excited they were when the apostolic visit literally put them at the centre of the Church. It must be very encouraging to be heard.
While meeting with the missionaries, religious, and members of the clergy at the Cathedral in Ulaanbaatar the day before the final Mass, Francis expounded on the point that the Church “has no political agenda to advance, but is sustained by the quiet power of God’s grace and a message of mercy and truth, which is meant to promote the good of all.” No institutions, including governments, need to worry because of the presence of the Catholic Church.
So, at the final Mass of Thanksgiving, Pope Francis gave the Church and the world a stunning image when he held up Cardinal Tong’s hand and my hand, wishing the best for the Chinese people and exhorting Chinese Catholics to be good Christians and good citizens. However, I must say that the holding of hands would have been better if Bishop Stephen Lee, the Bishop of Macau, was included. Nonetheless, the gesture of our Holy Father is clear enough. Our Pope loves China and the Chinese people A LOT! And, there is no contradiction whatsoever for anyone to be a good Christian and a good citizen. Basically, both identities should be able to coexist in harmony.
Both Pope Francis and his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, have clarified that evangelisation does not imply proselytism. And he reiterated that point during his return flight from Mongolia. Evangelisation is about bearing witness to the love of God, which watches over us and lifts us up when we are down. It is not about proselytism, which is about convincing others that we have the best answers. In order for the Church to grow, we must attract others with our life-giving testimonies so they will understand who we are and are willing to collaborate with us or allow us to collaborate with them for the greater good.
Even though Pope Francis and his predecessors have tried earnestly to assure the Chinese government about the loving mission of the Church, we must understand that there is the historical backdrop of China having been exploited and assaulted by foreign powers, which might have included some missionaries. On top of that is the government bureaucracy that exists in all countries. Hence, we need to pray earnestly, be patient, sincere, and consistent, and keep up our hope in the unfailing love of God.
+ Stephen Chow, SJ
