Tuesday 19th March 2024

Home » Our Catholic Faith » Currently Reading:

HLI’s Mission To Mongolia… There Are Setbacks, But The Church Continues

September 19, 2018 Our Catholic Faith No Comments

By FR. SHENAN BOQUET

(Editor’s Note: Fr. Shenan Boquet is the president of Human Life International. This commentary first appeared September 3 at HLI.org and was reprinted by LifeSiteNews.com. All rights reserved.)

+ + +

“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:18).
These words of the Divine Master are exemplified in the energy, passion, and heroic work of the Church in Mongolia, whose history dates to the golden era of the Mongol empire in the thirteenth century.
My recent mission to the “Land of the Eternal Blue Sky,” as Mongolia is often referenced, touched my heart and spirit. The beauty of the endless windswept steppes, rolling green hills, and the spectacular high mountain ranges were only surpassed by the warm-hearted and loving people who inhabit them.
In my travels from one mission to another, across the vast expanse of rolling hills, Jesus’ words filled my heart and mind, reminding me of His Church’s role and mission: Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
I remember the day I left for Mongolia. As I walked through Dulles Airport all the TV screens were filled with images and headlines about grand jury findings in Pittsburgh, Pa., and the actions of Theodore McCarrick. Many people were captivated by the news and shocked by what was being reported.
I could feel the tension and uneasiness in people, especially when they looked at a Catholic priest walking by. Though the great majority of priests and religious faithfully serve the people of God, remaining true to their promises, commitments and vows, it is hard for most people not to make a broad leap, even for a moment, to think that all must be guilty.
The scandals hurt us all! Even in Mongolia, the far-reaching impact of the scandalizing behavior of some within the Church could be felt.
As headlines and news stories across the world reported the grave immoral behavior of some Catholic clergy and prelates in the U.S. (and Vatican), evoking disgust, horror, and disappointment, I was experiencing something different and refreshing in Mongolia — the zeal and dedication of a bishop, surrounded by his priests, religious, and lay catechists — modern-day missionaries — who left their families, homes, and countries to proclaim the Gospel and serve the people entrusted to their care.
In complete contrast to what was being reported, I was reminded of the leap of faith first expressed by the apostles who abandoned all in response to Jesus’ command to go and make disciples. I experienced firsthand the transforming impact of sacrificial love genuinely offered by humble and meek servants of God, whose single motivation is to bring the Good News and the love of a heavenly Father to His beloved children.
I am glad the Lord permitted me to be on mission in Mongolia; it was a beautiful time of renewal.
The love and fruits of missionaries are reasons for hope!

A Pilgrim Church,
Missionary Spirit And Hope

In Ad Gentes, the Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church, the Second Vatican Council fathers attested to the missionary spirit of the Church, saying: “The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature, since it is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin, in accordance with the decree of God the Father” (n. 2).
Christ is not only the initiator and the perfect example, but also the One who supplies the necessary energy to proceed, communicating the Holy Spirit to His Church in every age. In spreading the faith and in calling all to conversion, we profess to all people that we “have no abiding city” (Heb. 13:14) here on Earth because we have a “citizenship in heaven” (Phil. 3:20).
Diplomatic and religious ties between the Catholic Church and the Mongols were interrupted when the divided Mongol Empire fell in the fourteenth century. The presence of the Church was revived in the seventeenth century when Catholic missionaries reconnected with the Mongols in what is now the northern part of China. In 1992 the Mongolian government re-established diplomatic relations with the Holy See.
After the fall of Communism in the former USSR and the rest of the Eastern bloc of Europe, the new reformist Mongolian government of Ochirbat (1992-1997) established diplomatic relations with other countries. In June 1990, the first contact was made by the Mongolian government through its ambassador to Yugoslavia, Dr. Khashbat, with the apostolic pro-nuncio in Belgrade, expressing its desire to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy See.
In September 1991, the Holy See’s representative to Hong Kong, Msgr. Jean Paul Gobel, visited Mongolia. Thereafter, Jozef Cardinal Tomko, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, formally invited the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) on October 7, 1991 to spearhead the Mongolian Mission.
Fathers Wenceslao Padilla, Robert Goessens, and Gilbert Sales arrived on March 31, 1992. On April 4, 1992 the Holy See and Mongolia established diplomatic relations and appointed Fr. Padilla as the Ecclesiastical Superior of the Missio Sui Iuris of Ulaanbaatar on April 19, 1992.
On April 15, 1995, the first Mongolian converts were baptized by Msgr. John Bulaitis. Then a piece of property in the Thirteenth Micro District was bought to construct the Catholic Church Mission — the office of the bishop and center of pastoral life. In August 2002, the Catholic community branched out in the Khan Uul District with St. Mary’s Church. This was followed by Good Shepherd Parish in the Tenth Micro District on March 25, 2003. Property was purchased, and the construction of the cathedral and accompanying buildings commenced in 2002 after the Missio Sui Iuris of Ulaanbaatar was elevated to an Apostolic Prefecture on July 8, 2002.
The episcopal Ordination of Msgr. Wenceslao Padilla and the consecration of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul occurred on August 29 and 30, 2003. Thereupon the first Church community finally settled. Other parishes were then established: Maria Auxilium Parish in Darkhan (2007), Mother of Mercy Parish in Arvaikheer (2012), St. Sophia in Bayan Khushuu (2013), the Divine Mercy Parish in Erdenet (2017), and the Holy Family Parish in Shuvuu (2017).
Two more centers of worship wait for their formal erection as parishes: St. Thomas Aquinas in Sukhbaatar District and the Lord of Mercy Church of Zuun Mod.
The growth of the Church has been gradual yet constant, with more missionaries committed to serve the Catholic Church in Mongolia. The Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (ICM) and Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC) arrived in 1995 and Missionaries of Charity (MC) arrived in September 1996. Fide Donum priests arrived in February 1997 followed by the Salesian Fathers in February 2001, the Congregation of Jesus Sisters (CJ) in July 2002, the Consolata Fathers and Sisters in 2003, the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco (FMA) in 2007 and the Blessed Sacrament Sisters of Charity (INBO) in 2008.
Lay missionaries soon followed.
Most important, on August 28, 2016, the very first Khalkh Mongolian priest, Fr. Joseph Baatariin Enkh, was ordained. Two more Mongolian seminarians are currently having their formation in South Korea. One of these seminarians is scheduled to be ordained deacon in December. From the first Baptism in 1995, the number of Catholic faithful has steadily grown to more than 1,300. If they started with 13, that’s an average growth rate of 22 percent!

Building A Culture Of Life

“Through the Holy Spirit the Gospel penetrates to the heart of the world, for it is He who causes people to discern the signs of the times — signs willed by God — which evangelization reveals and puts to use within history” — Blessed Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, n. 75.
Despite such enthusiasm within the local Church in Mongolia, the young Catholic community faces many challenges in cultivating and sustaining a Culture of Life.
Mongolia has a population of slightly over 3.1 million — 2.2 percent of which is Christian. Since 1985 there have been over 500,000 abortions — 13.3 percent of Mongolia’s population has been lost to the violent murder of its citizens. Mongolia has a contraceptive prevalence rate of 58 percent. In 1975 the total fertility rate (TFR) was 7.50. Today, it is 2.22 and expected to be around 1.6 by 2030.
The anti-life agenda is being pushed in Mongolia mercilessly by powerful international NGOs and foundations, even with its small population and sinking TFR. The Culture of Death and its powerful and indiscriminate minions are actively at work in Mongolia.
Forty-two 42 anti-life organizations have been identified, including: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Marie Stopes International (MSI), International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Amnesty International (AI), The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The United Nations World Health Organization (UNWHO), The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRIDC), and many others.

What’s The Motivation?

Mongolia’s resources play a key role in understanding why so many NGOs and anti-life groups are tirelessly working in this beautiful country. It is targeted by these groups because of the vast mineral resources many Western and developed countries require to sustain their industry and way of life.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the U.S. lists these resources in its 2017 World Factbook: oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, fluorspar, gold, silver, and iron. Uranium is also mined.
In 1974 under the Nixon administration, the National Security Council of the U.S. promulgated National Security Study Memorandum 200, entitled “Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for US Security and Overseas Interests.” The document outlines the overall strategy of the U.S. government regarding worldwide population control operations. This document continues to be in force and has never been rescinded or amended. Chapter III of the document states its purpose:
“The U.S. economy will require large and increasing amounts of minerals, especially from less developed countries. This gives the U.S. enhanced interest in the political, economic, and social stability of the supplying countries. Wherever a lessening of population through reduced birthrates can increase the prospects for such stability, population policy becomes relevant to resource supplies and to the economic interests of the United States.”

Why Did HLI Travel
To Mongolia?

“There is an ‘ideological colonization’ for which we have to be careful of those trying to destroy the family. Challenged by the redefinition of marriage and openness to life, as families we have to be very wise with fortitude to this colonization which will destroy the family” — Pope Francis.
Among the challenges facing the Church in Mongolia is the need for a counter-approach to the agendas that have negatively influenced the culture and its view of the human person, human sexuality, and the family. Because of the “ideological colonization” imposed by Communism and other philosophies, many Mongolians have embraced the anti-life mentality, as attested by low birthrates, high abortion numbers, and rampant sexual promiscuity, as well as alcoholism.
HLI was tasked with assisting the clergy, religious, catechists, and lay leaders with: 1) a better understanding of Church teaching on the dignity of the human person, the sacredness of life and role of the family, 2) information on the various anti-life groups working in Mongolia, and 3) pastoral application — i.e., how to apply Church teaching to the situations confronting the faithful and their society.
A key document used throughout our discussions was Humanae Vitae. We emphasized its teaching and the strength of Blessed Paul VI to defend the sacred institution of marriage and the gift of human life. He was courageously warning the flock entrusted to his care about the evils trying to destroy the family and the Culture of Life. He understood the difficulties that families experience and called upon the pastors of the Church to assist families and defend them against the false ideologies threatening them.
Our ten-day mission in Mongolia barely touched the surface of the issues confronting Life and Family in this country, but it opened the door for further conversation and opportunity. Bishop Padilla has already extended an invitation for a follow-up program, which is being discussed. As a Catholic educational apostolate, HLI joyfully welcomes the opportunity to support the Church in her proclamation of the Gospel of Life.
Though we face many challenges today, exacerbated by the grave misbehaviors of some members of the Church, we must never be ashamed or fearful of Church teaching and her mission to evangelize as witnessed in Mongolia. The spirit and love of the missionaries and the response of the people to the Gospel was rejuvenating and encouraging — a sign of hope. It is only in living in this light and truth that we will find peace, liberation, and prosperity.

Share Button

2019 The Wanderer Printing Co.

Vatican and USCCB leave transgender policy texts unpublished

While U.S. bishops have made headlines for releasing policies addressing gender identity and pastoral ministry, guidelines on the subject have been drafted but not published by both the U.S. bishops’ conference and the Vatican’s doctrinal office, leaving diocesan bishops to…Continue Reading

Biden says Pope Francis told him to continue receiving communion, amid scrutiny over pro-abortion policies

President Biden said that Pope Francis, during their meeting Friday in Vatican City, told him that he should continue to receive communion, amid heightened scrutiny of the Catholic president’s pro-abortion policies.  The president, following the approximately 90-minute-long meeting, a key…Continue Reading

Federal judge rules in favor of Gov. DeSantis’ mask mandate ban

MIAMI (LifeSiteNews) – A federal judge this week handed Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis another legal victory on his mask mandate ban for schools. On Wednesday, Judge K. Michael Moore of the Southern District of Florida denied a petition from…Continue Reading

The Eucharist should not be received unworthily, says Nigerian cardinal

Priests have a duty to remind Catholics not to receive the Eucharist in a state of serious sin and to make confession easily available, a Nigerian cardinal said at the International Eucharistic Congress on Thursday. “It is still the doctrine…Continue Reading

Donald Trump takes a swipe at Catholics and Jews who did not vote for him

Donald Trump complained about Catholics and Jews who did not vote for him in 2020. The former president made the comments in a conference call featuring religious leaders. The move could be seen to shore up his religious conservative base…Continue Reading

Y Gov. Kathy Hochul Admits Andrew Cuomo Covered Up COVID Deaths, 12,000 More Died Than Reported

When it comes to protecting people from COVID, Andrew Cuomo is already the worst governor in America. New York has the second highest death rate per capita, in part because he signed an executive order putting COVID patients in nursing…Continue Reading

Prayers For Cardinal Burke . . . U.S. Cardinal Burke says he has tested positive for COVID-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke said he has tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. In an Aug. 10 tweet, he wrote: “Praised be Jesus Christ! I wish to inform you that I have recently…Continue Reading

Democrats Block Amendment Banning Late-Term Abortions, Stopping Abortions Up to Birth

Senate Democrats have blocked an amendment that would ban abortions on babies older than 20 weeks. During consideration of the multi-trillion spending package, pro-life Louisiana Senator John Kennedy filed an amendment to ban late-term abortions, but Democrats steadfastly support killing…Continue Reading

Transgender student wins as U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs bathroom appeal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to a transgender former public high school student who waged a six-year legal battle against a Virginia county school board that had barred him from using the bathroom corresponding…Continue Reading

New York priest accused by security guard of assault confirms charges have now been dropped

NEW YORK, June 17, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — A New York priest has made his first public statement regarding the dismissal of charges against him.  Today Father George W. Rutler reached out to LifeSiteNews and other media today with the following…Continue Reading

21,000 sign petition protesting US Catholic bishops vote on Biden, abortion

More than 21,000 people have signed a letter calling for U.S. Catholic bishops to cancel a planned vote on whether President Biden should receive communion.  Biden, a Catholic, supports abortion rights and has long come under attack from some Catholics over that…Continue Reading

Bishop Gorman seeks candidates to fill two full time AP level teaching positions for the 2021-2022 school year in the subject areas of Calculus/Statistics and Physics

Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Regional Catholic School is a college preparatory school located in Tyler, Texas. It is an educational ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler led by Bishop Joseph Strickland. The sixth through twelfth grade school provides a…Continue Reading

Untitled 5 Untitled 2

Attention Readers:

  Welcome to our website. Readers who are familiar with The Wanderer know we have been providing Catholic news and orthodox commentary for 150 years in our weekly print edition.


  Our daily version offers only some of what we publish weekly in print. To take advantage of everything The Wanderer publishes, we encourage you to su
bscribe to our flagship weekly print edition, which is mailed every Friday or, if you want to view it in its entirety online, you can subscribe to the E-edition, which is a replica of the print edition.
 
  Our daily edition includes: a selection of material from recent issues of our print edition, news stories updated daily from renowned news sources, access to archives from The Wanderer from the past 10 years, available at a minimum charge (this will be expanded as time goes on). Also: regularly updated features where we go back in time and highlight various columns and news items covered in The Wanderer over the past 150 years. And: a comments section in which your remarks are encouraged, both good and bad, including suggestions.
 
  We encourage you to become a daily visitor to our site. If you appreciate our site, tell your friends. As Catholics we must band together to rediscover our faith and share it with the world if we are to effectively counter a society whose moral culture seems to have no boundaries and a government whose rapidly extending reach threatens to extinguish the rights of people of faith to practice their religion (witness the HHS mandate). Now more than ever, vehicles like The Wanderer are needed for clarification and guidance on the issues of the day.

Catholic, conservative, orthodox, and loyal to the Magisterium have been this journal’s hallmarks for five generations. God willing, our message will continue well into this century and beyond.

Joseph Matt
President, The Wanderer Printing Co.

Untitled 1

Catechism

Today . . .

Wisconsin Supreme Court says Catholic charity group cannot claim religious tax exemption

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a major Catholic charity group’s activities were not “primarily” religious under state law, stripping the group of a key tax break and ordering it to pay into the state unemployment system. Catholic Charities Bureau (CCB) last year argued that the state had improperly removed its designation as a religious organization.  The charity filed a lawsuit after the state said it did not qualify to be considered as an organization…Continue Reading

Walgreens and CVS Will Start Selling Abortion Pills That Kill Babies

The two largest pharmacies in America will start selling abortion pills this month that end the lives of unborn children by starting them to death. Walgreens and CVS will both sell the abortion pills despite the fact that they kill a developing human being and have killed at least dozens of women and injured tens of thousands more. They plan to initially roll out abortion drug sales in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, California…Continue Reading

Cardinal Burke announces novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe for ‘crises of our age’

VATICAN CITY (PerMariam) — Raymond Cardinal Burke has announced the start of a global, nine-month novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, calling on Catholics to beseech Mary’s intercession on the Church and the world in the face of the “crises of our age.” In a new endeavour published online over the weekend, Cardinal Burke announced a novena beginning in March, and culminating on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.

Texas attorney general targets Catholic nonprofit, alleges it facilitates illegal immigration

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 21, 2024 / 21:15 pm Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to shut down a Catholic nonprofit organization in El Paso based on allegations that the group may be facilitating illegal immigration, harboring immigrants who entered the country illegally, and engaging in human smuggling.  Paxton filed a lawsuit against the nonprofit Annunciation House, which has operated in the state for nearly 50 years. The lawsuit asks the District Court of El Paso…Continue Reading

Irreverent funeral service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for trans activist sparks outcry

A raucous funeral liturgy for a high-profile trans activist and sex-worker advocate was held Thursday in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, sparking an outcry on social media that the iconic church was misused to advance an ideological agenda at odds with Catholic teaching. The Manhattan cathedral hosted the Feb. 15 funeral service for Cecilia Gentili, an activist who helped to decriminalize sex work in New York, lobbied for “gender identity” to be added as…Continue Reading

The King of Kings

Cindy Paslawski We are at the end of the Church year. We began with Advent a year ago, commemorating the time awaiting the coming of the Christ and we are ending these weeks later with a vision of the future, a vision of Christ the King of the Universe on His throne before us all.…Continue Reading

7,000 Pro-Lifers March In London

By STEVEN ERTELT LONDON (LifeNews) — Over the weekend, some seven thousand pro-life people in the UK participated in the March for Life in London to protest abortion.They marched to Parliament Square on Saturday, September 2 under the banner of “Freedom to Live” and had to deal with a handful of radical abortion activists.During the…Continue Reading

An Appeal For Prayer For The Armenian People

By RAYMOND LEO CARDINAL BURKE (Editor’s Note: His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke on August 29, 2023, issued this prayer for the Armenian people, noting their unceasing love for Christ, even in the face of persecution.) + + On the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, having a few days ago celebrated the…Continue Reading

Robert Hickson, Founding Member Of Christendom College, Dies At 80

By MAIKE HICKSON FRONT ROYAL, Va. (LifeSiteNews) — Robert David Hickson, Jr., of Front Royal, Va., died at his home on September 2, 2023, at 21:29 p.m. after several months of suffering and after having received the Last Rites of the Catholic Church. He was surrounded by friends and family.Robert is survived by me —…Continue Reading

The Real Hero Of “Sound of Freedom”… Says The Film Has Strengthened The Fight Against Child Trafficking

By ANA PAULA MORALES (CNA) —Tim Ballard, a former U.S. Homeland Security agent who risked his life to fight child trafficking, discussed the impact of the movie Sound of Freedom, which is based on his work, in an August 29 interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. “I’ve spent more than 20 years helping…Continue Reading

Advertisement

Our Catholic Faith (Section B of print edition)

Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: This lesson on medical-moral issues is taken from the book Catholicism & Ethics. Please feel free to use the series for high schoolers or adults. We will continue to welcome your questions for the column as well. The email and postal addresses are given at the end of this column. Special Course On Catholicism And Ethics (Pages 53-59)…Continue Reading

Color Politics An Impediment To Faith

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK The USCCB is rightly concerned about racism, as they should be about any sin. In the 2018 statement Open Wide Our Hearts, they affirm the dignity of every human person: “But racism still profoundly affects our culture, and it has no place in the Christian heart. This evil causes great harm to its victims, and…Continue Reading

Trademarks Of The True Messiah

By MSGR. CHARLES POPE (Editor’s Note: Msgr. Charles Pope posted this essay on September 2, and it is reprinted here with permission.) + + In Sunday’s Gospel the Lord firmly sets before us the need for the cross, not as an end in itself, but as the way to glory. Let’s consider the Gospel in three stages.First: The Pattern That…Continue Reading

A Beacon Of Light… The Holy Cross And Jesus’ Unconditional Love

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON Each year on September 14 the Church celebrates the Feast Day of the Exultation of the Holy Cross. The Feast Day of the Triumph of the Holy Cross commemorates the day St. Helen found the True Cross. It is fitting then, that today we should focus on the final moments of Jesus’ life on the…Continue Reading

Our Ways Must Become More Like God’s Ways

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Twenty-Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR A) Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9Phil. 1:20c-24, 27aMatt. 20:1-16a In the first reading today, God tells us through the Prophet Isaiah that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. This should not come as a surprise to anyone, especially when we look at what the Lord…Continue Reading

The Devil And The Democrats

By FR. DENIS WILDE, OSA States such as Minnesota, California, Maryland, and others, in all cases with Democrat-controlled legislatures, are on a fast track to not only allow unborn babies to be murdered on demand as a woman’s “constitutional right” but also to allow infanticide.Our nation has gotten so used to the moral evil of killing in the womb that…Continue Reading

Crushed But Unbroken . . . The Martyrdom Of St. Margaret Clitherow

By RAY CAVANAUGH The late-1500s were a tough time for Catholics in England, where the Reformation was in full gear. A 1581 law prohibited Catholic religious ceremonies. And a 1584 Act of Parliament mandated that all Catholic priests leave the country or else face execution. Some chose to remain, however, so they could continue serving the faithful.Also taking huge risks…Continue Reading

Advertisement(2)