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Mongolia: The Baby Church In Mongolia Is Growing Up PDF Print E-mail
Written by UCA News   
Friday, 14 December 2007
The young Catholic Church in Mongolia is moving onward slowly but steadily, Bishop Wenceslao Padilla, apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaatar, told the pope during his recent ad limina meeting.

Pope Benedict XVI's meeting on Dec. 3 with Bishop Padilla was his first with the head of the Catholic Church in Mongolia since becoming pope in 2005.

Ad limina visits are a practice dating back to the fourth century. Every five years, according to current Church practice, each diocesan bishop is expected to meet with the pope and present a report on his diocese.

Bishop Padilla, 58, an Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) missioner, headed the group of three CICM pioneers who opened the Mongolian mission in 1992. The Filipino prelate spent 25 years in Taiwan before he was appointed to lead the mission in Mongolia. The mission was raised to an apostolic prefecture in 2002, as it celebrated its 10th anniversary, with then-Monsignor Padilla its prefect. He was appointed and ordained a bishop in August 2003.

UCA News spoke with Bishop Padilla before and after his ad limina visit for the following interview:

Have you met Pope Benedict before?

I met the Holy Father before, when he was still a cardinal, during the Synod of Asian Bishops in April-May 1998. I approached him on one of our breaks and introduced myself as the superior of the missio sui iuris (self-governing mission) of Mongolia. He told me he knew about it and the newly started mission. He still remembers that brief meeting we had. When I was being nominated to be bishop, he must have been one of those who approved my nomination. Since this [ad limina] was the first formal meeting that I had with His Holiness, everything that came from my mouth was first-hand information for him. He was eager to hear how this fledgling Church, which he called a "baby Church," is doing.

Was there something the pope was especially interested in about Mongolia?

He took time to listen and have a look at the photos in the photo album that I brought for him. Instead of having only the scheduled 15 minutes of personal audience with him, my visit was almost 30 minutes. In short, he was delighted that the 'baby Church' in Mongolia is growing up. For me, personally, the sharing we had was very consoling and encouraging. He was relaxed, accommodating, always with a smile, and even laughed when I mentioned that in October I visited his native land, Bavaria, during the Oktoberfest, and was able to gulp only two liters of Bavarian beer. He really showed much interest at my verbal report and wanted to view all the pictures in the photo album, though I wanted to flip the pages fast due to time constraints.

What was the most prominent feature of the Mongolia Catholic mission that you shared with the Holy Father?

I think everything that is happening in the mission comprises the best news. What we have gone through is something special and unique, because there was no Church presence before we came. I recalled for him how hard it was to start from scratch. With only three of us CICM missioners to come in 1992 and no Catholic presence whatsoever in Mongolia, we went through an experience that not many people nowadays go through, namely, the beginning of something entirely new. Now we are engaged in so many fields in Mongolian life, and whatever comes to my mind seems to be the best news.

For example, in social work, there is the service to the poorest of the poor, like street people -- especially children -- and girls at risk, the elderly and the mentally challenged children.

In spiritual work, there is the start of the parishes and sub-mission stations. We now have three parishes and sub-stations in Ulaanbaatar, where nearly half of the country's population lives, and another parish in Darhan, plus missioners in three more countryside locations. We already have Church organizations in place, and the administration of the sacraments attracts hundreds of people besides the 475 Mongolian Catholics.

In education we started three Montessori [preschools], primary schools for poor children, education of the handicapped and slow learners, education of street children, education of school dropouts in the Don Bosco technical school and spiritual accompaniment of the youth.

About the missioners, the best news is their vitality and daring, and their dedication in their works and projects.
And already we can say that Mongolian youth have started to take up some of the functions of the Church. Their involvement in some Church projects and Church activities shows they are reaching a point where it is becoming their Church, not just a foreign institution doing good.

I reported that the Church in Mongolia is moving onward slowly but steadily. No big conversions, but as the planter of seeds, one has to be patient until harvest time comes.

Did you share about challenges in the mission?

I told him about the difficulties and challenges that we are encountering in Mongolia in terms of Church life. The newness of the Church is in itself a challenge. Many times, to start or sustain the works and the energy of the missionaries poses a problem. The restrictions and the difficulties in processing legal papers are a cross and a burden. Financial support for the works and activities are perennial concerns. And I believe that learning and mastering the Mongolian language is a challenge.

I mentioned about the language difficulty in translating Church material and documents into the vernacular, needed for catechesis. This has been going on ever since the missioners learned some Mongolian, but finding the best terminology and producing the most meaningful text is not an instant work, it is a result of long years of study and research.

In social work we need financial support, because of the enormous number of people and areas needing help. And naturally, missioners have to be very versatile, being not only good pastors and spiritual leaders, but also good in organization and management in order to run the social projects. Also, not only the missioners but also local Mongolian staff have to be trained very well so that the projects will be successfully carried out.

In spiritual works I talked about the fluctuation of Massgoers. Twenty-four percent of those baptized are no longer coming to church, as they may be "shopping for the best religion."

In education the challenge is the non-availability of school materials and supplies, the need for good and self-sacrificing teachers, and training for instructors. I think the Holy Father agreed with me that the dire need for a [formal] Catholic school is a primary concern in Mongolia, in the hope that this will become a seedbed for vocations, and will help to change mentalities and attitudes, and to stop the brain drain of youths who are going abroad for studies and never will come back again.

Concerning the missioners I emphasized that since most of the missionaries belong to Religious congregations, it is sometimes difficult to establish stability in the works. They are also subject to congregational policies and regulations. How the congregations work in unity, as in a team, still has to improve. Missionaries should understand that the Catholic Church mission in Mongolia is a corporate commitment of all those involved in the apostolic prefecture.

One of our greatest tasks is to train and uplift the young people. Youth are youth -- active and growing, and trying to spearhead into the future as they wish. Without proper guidance, they can be misdirected and lose their way to a brighter and meaningful future.

The influence of the concrete realities in Mongolia, be it political, social, economic or the influence of the global village as such, greatly influences the ways people think and behave. The Mongolian brethren are very susceptible to outward influences, especially the sophistication of Europe as in fashion, gadgets, material needs, luxury, etc.

The Holy Father gave his lavish apostolic blessings on me and the Mongolian Mission when we ended our talk. He assured me that he is praying for the mission, and said I have to bring his greetings and blessings to all.

How do you see your own role in building the Catholic Church in Mongolia?

As an overseer, I am aware and keep myself reasonably well informed of all the happenings of the mission. Though sometimes I have no control over things taking place, I try to understand. I can't just infringe in the domain of congregations' policies. The Mongolian Church needs to be recognized as belonging to the one, holy, universal Church. There is also the need to evaluate our missionary or Church strategies. Let's see what happens with the implementation of the Pastoral Plan. It was promulgated on Dec. 2, and I'll do my best to monitor its implementation. I have always adopted an openness and concern to the needs of mission life. For the next few years I envision more outreaches to other provinces in Mongolia, and for the next 10 years I see and pray for the formation of local clergy and local Religious.

What is your vision of mission?

The question posed is a big one and needs a long answer, but permit me just to mention my pet ideas on what mission is for me.

It is dialogue with the concrete realities in the mission field such as culture, traditions, and ways of doing and acting, the mentality of the people. It is dialogue with the religions and religious practices that are present in the local place and Church. It is dialogue especially with the marginalized, the poor.

It is also partnership. I know and fully understand that before I arrived in Mongolia, God had already been busy in peoples' lives. I am just a partner in establishing God's kingdom. It is partnership with the Church agents, leaders, missionaries, pastoral agents, lay collaborators, benefactors. All are agents in doing mission and are co-partners.
It is witnessing, inasmuch as what is asked of those who are doing mission is to be credible not only in words but more so in deeds. We are witnesses, carriers, proclaimers of the Good News. Mission is rightly called evangelization, which recognizes that an essential element of this process is witness. Today's world is bombarded with words and information, and for this reason -- and possibly more than at any time in recent history -- the things Christians do speak louder than the things they say.

The late (Pope) John Paul II told the Philippine bishops: "New evangelization needs witnesses to the Gospel who speak more by their deeds than by their words." People today put more trust in witnesses. A loving witness of Christian life will always remain the first and irreplaceable form of mission.
Last Updated ( Thursday, 13 December 2007 )