Pope Francis to make first ever papal visit to Mongolia, in August

Pope Francis is due to fly to Mongolia for five days in late summer on an official Apostolic Journey, the Holy See announced on Saturday.
The head of the Catholic Church plans to travel to the East Asian country from August 31 to September 4 at the invitation of President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh and church authorities, a Vatican spokesman said.
Francis will be the first pope to visit Mongolia, according to the official news website Vatican News. Around 1,300 Catholics live in the vast landlocked country, out of a total population of more than 3 million.
In 2020, Francis appointed the Italian Giorgio Marengo as Apostolic Prefect of Ulan Bator. In 2022, he became a cardinal priest in the College of Cardinals, becoming also the youngest cardinal in the world.
The programme and further details of the trip will be announced in the coming weeks, the Holy See added.
So far this year, the pope has travelled to destinations including in Hungary, South Sudan and Congo.
But travel has become more difficult for the pope due to his severe knee problems. During his trip to Africa, for example, he was seated for the majority of his appointments and mostly moved from place to place in a wheelchair.