Michael Brooks
Mongolia has a small Catholic community of fewer than 1,500 people, according to various sources. The country has a long and complex history with Christianity, dating back to the 13th century when the Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan. The Catholic Church in Mongolia has faced several challenges, including the lack of liturgical texts in the Mongolian language and limited knowledge of the local language by missionaries. Despite these difficulties, the Church has grown from having no adherents in 1991 to over 600 in 2006, including about 350 native Mongolians. Pope Francis' visit to Mongolia in 2023 brought attention to the small Catholic minority in the country and highlighted the community's resilience and dedication to their faith.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of first Catholic presence in Mongolia | 1300s |
| Year Catholic Church resurfaced in Mongolia | 1922 |
| Year of the fall of Communism in Mongolia | 1991 |
| Year of the first Catholic church in Mongolia | 1996 |
| Year Mongolia got its first bishop | 2003 |
| Year of the first Catholic grotto in Mongolia | 2008 |
| Year of the first Mongolian priest | 2016 |
| Number of Catholics in Mongolia | 1,200-1,500 |
| Number of Catholic churches in Mongolia | 6 |
| Number of parishes in Mongolia | 8 |
| Number of priests in Mongolia | 24-33 |
| Number of nuns in Mongolia | 37-44 |
| Number of Catholic missionaries in Mongolia | 54 |
| Pope that visited Mongolia | Pope Francis |
| Year of Pope Francis' visit to Mongolia | 2023 |
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What You'll Learn
Catholicism's complex history in Mongolia
Catholicism has a long and complex history in Mongolia, a country with fewer than 1,500 Catholics. The religion first arrived in the country in the 1300s, during the time of Genghis Khan, who was tolerant of all faiths. However, it was soon forced out, and the practice of Catholicism was suppressed.
In the 13th century, Western missionaries such as William Rubruck and Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, as well as Armenian King Hethum I, visited the region. The leaders of the Mongol Empire were traditionally tolerant of many religions, though Christianity was a key religious influence, primarily through the wives of the Mongolian khans, who were women from the Church of the East Keraites.
In 1287, a Nestorian monk, Rabban Bar Sauma, embarked on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from Khanbaliq, near modern-day Beijing. In 1307, a Franciscan priest, John of Montecorvino, built a Catholic church in Khanbaliq, becoming the patriarch under Pope Clement V. He had converted about 6,000 people to the faith. Many Mongols also converted to Tibetan Buddhism during the reign of Kublai Khan, another grandson of Genghis Khan, who favored the religion.
After 1368, when the Mongols withdrew from central China, the practice of Tibetan Buddhism and Catholicism was suppressed, and the Nestorian community gradually disappeared. However, under the Qing dynasty, which ruled China and Mongolia in the 17th century, Buddhism was revived.
In the 20th century, Mongolian politics changed drastically when the country adopted communism, following the Soviet Union's intervention, and the practice of Buddhism declined again. During this time, freedom of thought and religion was not permitted. However, the new Mongolian Constitution of 1992 guaranteed religious liberty, and diplomatic relations with the Vatican were restored. Catholic missionaries were sent to the country, and the first Masses were conducted in a hotel. In 1996, the first Catholic church in Mongolia was dedicated, with Father Wince Padilla and 150 parishioners present.
In 2003, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, the head of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, consecrated Father Padilla as the first bishop of Mongolia. In 2004, a Mongolian version of the Catholic catechism and Bible was printed in the traditional Mongolian writing style, including common Catholic prayers. In 2007, a fourth parish was founded in Darkhan, Mongolia's second-largest city, and the first Catholic grotto in the country was dedicated in 2008.
In 2020, Pope Francis made the first papal visit to Mongolia, during which he opened a homeless clinic. In 2023, he returned, giving a highly anticipated speech at an ecumenical and interreligious gathering in Ulaanbaatar. Despite the small number of Catholics in the country, the Catholic Church is generally well-regarded, largely due to its emphasis on charity.
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Catholic missionaries' work in Mongolia
Catholicism in Mongolia has grown from zero adherents in 1991 to over 600 in 2006, including about 350 native Mongolians. As of 2023, there are around 1,500 Catholics in Mongolia, with eight parishes and a chapel. The Catholic Church in Mongolia has three functioning parishes and 54 missionaries from various countries helping to build up the Church.
The Catholic Church's missionary work in Mongolia focuses on social, health, and education fields. They run a technical institute, two elementary schools, two nursery schools, a medical clinic, a centre for the disabled, and two institutes for abandoned and poor elderly people. The Church also runs charitable projects, including soup kitchens and washing facilities, and provides vocational courses for women.
The Catholic Church in Mongolia has a long history, dating back to the 13th century when Western missionaries such as William Rubruck and Giovanni da Pian del Carpine visited the region. The Church established a mission in 1922, but it ceased within a year due to the establishment of the Mongolian People's Republic, which did not permit freedom of thought and religion. After the fall of communism and the introduction of democracy in 1991, Catholic missionaries returned and rebuilt the Church.
The first three missionaries of the Scheut community arrived in Mongolia in 1992, with the support of the Korean Church. They faced significant challenges, including language and cultural barriers, as none of the missionaries spoke Mongolian, and there were no Catholic liturgical texts printed in Mongolian. Despite these difficulties, the Church has slowly grown, with an increasing number of young Catholic Mongolians interested in the priesthood and consecrated life.
In addition to the Catholic Church's missionary work, other Christian missionary groups, such as Mission Eurasia, are also active in Mongolia. These groups focus on training and equipping young Christian leaders to spread the Gospel and make a lasting impact in their communities.
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The Mongolian Catholic community
The Catholic Church in Mongolia has a long and complex history that dates back to the 13th century when the Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan. At that time, the leaders of the Mongol Empire were tolerant of many religions, and Christianity had some presence in the region. However, Catholicism was forced out of Mongolia in the 14th century, and it wasn't until the 19th century that the country had its own Catholic jurisdiction.
In the early 20th century, Mongolia adopted communism, and religious freedom was suppressed. But with the fall of communism in 1991, the country returned to its tradition of religious tolerance, and Catholic missionaries returned to rebuild the Church. The first Masses were conducted in a hotel, and communication was challenging due to language barriers and a lack of Catholic liturgical texts in Mongolian. Despite these difficulties, the Church has grown from no adherents in 1991 to over 600 in 2006, including about 350 native Mongolians.
As of 2016, there were six Catholic churches in Mongolia, three of them in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Ulaanbaatar is built in the traditional Mongolian style. The Catholic Church in Mongolia is well-regarded and known for its emphasis on charity, operating schools, libraries, clinics, programs for alcoholics, and centers for disabled children. The Verbist Care Center, for example, houses more than 100 children who previously lived in the sewers of Ulaanbaatar.
The small Mongolian Catholic community, estimated at around 1,200 to 1,500 people, has faced some challenges. Some Catholic converts, especially the younger generation, experience harassment from non-Catholic Mongolians. However, many Mongolians have a favorable view of the Church, and its perception as "Western" has drawn some young people to Catholicism. Pope Francis' visit to Mongolia in 2023 was a significant event for the local Church, encouraging interreligious dialogue and connection with the universal Church.
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Pope Francis' visit to Mongolia
In 2023, Pope Francis became the first pope to visit Mongolia. The visit lasted four days, from 31 August to 4 September. Pope Francis flew to Mongolia on a chartered ITA Airways flight, arriving on 1 September.
On 2 September, Pope Francis attended a welcoming ceremony at Sükhbaatar Square and met with Mongolian government leaders and representatives, including President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, and the Speaker of Parliament. During his speech, Pope Francis praised Mongolia's tradition of religious liberty, noting that such tolerance existed even during the period of the Mongol Empire's expansion. He also called on leaders to dispel "the dark clouds of war".
On the same day, Pope Francis visited Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, the official episcopal see, and met with the Catholic community. He also paid a visit to the Catholic grotto, the first of its kind in Mongolia, which was dedicated in 2008.
On 3 September, Pope Francis presided over an Ecumenical and Interreligious meeting at the Hun Theatre and later celebrated Mass in Ulaanbaatar's Steppe Arena, attended by the country's entire Catholic community.
On 4 September, the final day of his visit, Pope Francis gifted the Apostolic Prefecture a statue of St. Mary before departing Mongolia.
The visit by Pope Francis to Mongolia was significant as it marked the first time a pope had visited the country. It also came at a time when the Vatican's relations with Mongolia's neighbours, China and Russia, were strained due to various political and religious issues.
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Catholic churches in Mongolia
Catholicism in Mongolia has a long and complex history. The faith first arrived in the 1300s but was soon forced out. It resurfaced in 1922 and a mission was established, but the country soon fell under Communist control, which did not permit freedom of thought and religion. Following the end of Communism in Mongolia in 1990, Catholic missionaries returned to the country and rebuilt the church from scratch.
In 1992, the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) sent priests to Mongolia to accomplish the mission of reconstituting the Church, once the Vatican had established diplomatic relations with the country. The first group of missionaries included Father Wenceslao Padilla, who was later consecrated as the first bishop of Mongolia in 2003. By 1996, Father Padilla and 150 parishioners were present at the dedication of the first Catholic church in Mongolia. In 1997, the first papal nuncio to Mongolia was named.
As of 2016, there were six Catholic churches in Mongolia, three of them in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Ulaanbaatar is built in the traditional Mongolian style. The first Masses were held in rented apartments and consisted mostly of foreigners. In 2007, a fourth parish was founded in Darkhan, Mongolia's second-largest city.
In 2008, Joseph Enkh Baatar became the first Mongolian Catholic to join a seminary for the priesthood. He was ordained as the first Mongolian priest in 2016. More than 1,500 people attended the ordination Mass, including nearly 100 priests from South Korea, foreign dignitaries, local Orthodox churches, and Buddhist monks.
The Catholic Church in Mongolia faces several challenges. The country has no Catholic seminaries, and some Mongolian Catholic converts, particularly the younger generation, face harassment from non-Catholic Mongolians. However, there remain a considerable number of Mongolians with a favourable view of the Church, owing to its emphasis on charity. The Church operates schools, libraries, clinics, programs for alcoholics, and centres for disabled children.
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Frequently asked questions
There are fewer than 1,500 Catholics in Mongolia, with some sources placing the figure at around 1,200 native Mongolian Catholics.
In 2020, Catholics made up 0.04% of the population.
Yes, in 2023, Pope Francis became the first pope to visit Mongolia.
