“So Chinese citizens don’t think that the Church doesn’t accept their own culture, their own values and that the Church represents another foreign power.”

He also directly addressed the Chinese people – some of whom were in the congregation of a Sunday mass, on pilgrimages unauthorised by Beijing – telling them to be “good Christians and good citizens”.

Pope Francis praises Mongolia but warns of corruption, environmental ruin

Francis, in the 11th year of his papacy, is anxious to make inroads for the Catholic Church in China, where a contentious 2018 deal renewed last year gave both Beijing and the Vatican a voice in choosing cardinals.

But an invitation to visit from Beijing is yet to arrive, and Francis on Monday suggested, as he ended the 43rd voyage of his papacy, that future trips could be limited.

“I’ll tell you the truth, for me taking a trip now, it’s not as easy as in the beginning, there are limitations, in walking,” he said, when asked what official visits he envisioned.

The pope underwent a hernia operation in June and knee pain forces him to rely on a wheelchair or cane. While in Mongolia, he walked unsteadily and often looked tired.

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Pope Francis sends greeting to ‘noble’ people of China as he wraps up historic visit to Mongolia

Pope Francis sends greeting to ‘noble’ people of China as he wraps up historic visit to Mongolia

Mongolia, a young democracy since 1992 with freedom of religion enshrined in its constitution and a history of coexistence between religions, offered Francis an apt platform for an appeal for interfaith dialogue.

His gesture of support for its 1,400 Catholics also fulfilled his desire to reach out to often ignored areas far from Rome.

The Buddhist-majority former Soviet satellite state, sandwiched between China and Russia, counts just 25 Catholic priests – only two of them Mongolian.

“Dear brothers and sisters of Mongolia, thank you for the gift of friendship that I received in these days. Bayarlalaa! [‘Thank you’ in Mongolian] May God bless you,” the pope’s X account, formerly Twitter, said soon after his departure.

Earlier on Monday, during the pope’s visit to a homeless shelter and clinic on the outskirts of the capital, a group of women from mainland China sang in Mandarin, wiping away tears as the pope’s black car passed by.

“Dear Pope, our best wishes for you,” they sang.

Many Chinese Catholics who came to see the pope told authorities at home they were travelling to Mongolia for tourism, according to interviews with Agence France-Presse.

China’s government, which is officially atheist, is wary of the Catholic Church on its territory, and exercises strict control over all recognised religious institutions.

Mongolia has sought to toe a neutral line with its neighbours Russia and China, on whom it depends for imports of energy and the export of its coal, even as it reaches out to third countries, including the United States and South Korea, for balance.

Pope Francis draws criticism for extolling Russian imperialist tsars

Francis called himself a “pilgrim of friendship” during his trip to Ulaanbaatar, extolling Mongolia’s virtues while warning of the dangers of corruption and environmental degradation.

Mongolia has been marred by corruption and environmental degradation in recent years, with its capital suffering from some of the world’s worst air quality and an embezzlement scandal sparking street protests last year.

Vast swathes of the country are also at risk of desertification due to climate change, overgrazing and mining.