During the meeting—which took place nearly a year after Gaspari’s March 2024 appointment as nuncio—President Khürelsükh “paid tribute to the Holy Father and his action for peace, reiterating that the Mongolian people are praying for his health, and recalled the apostolic journey of September 2023, which contributed to the improvement of interreligious relations,” the Vatican newspaper reported.

The East Asian nation of 3.3 million (map) is 59% Buddhist, 18% ethnic religionist, 5% Muslim, and 2% Christian. Pope Francis visited the nation for four days in 2023.

Thursday PM: The Vatican has announced that because the Pope’s condition now appears stable, the press office will no longer deliver twice-daily updates on his status. The next scheduled update will be on Saturday, March 8.