Farewell Ceremony from Mongolia at Ulaanbaatar International Airport
Telegram to the President of Mongolia
Telegrams to Heads of State during the flight from Ulaanbaatar to Rome
Farewell Ceremony from Mongolia at Ulaanbaatar International Airport
At the end of the meeting with charity workers at the House of Mercy, the Holy Father Francis transferred by car to Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar for the farewell ceremony from Mongolia.
Upon arrival, the Pope was received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Her Excellency Ms. Batmunkh Battsetseg. Then, after the greeting from the respective delegations and the local entourage, Pope Francis boarded an A330/ITA Airways aircraft for the return journey to Italy.
The aircraft carrying the Holy Father on his return flight from his Apostolic Journey in Mongolia departed from Ulaanbaatar International Airport at 12.03 (6.03 in Rome), and landed at Roma-Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 16.01 (Rome).
Telegram to the President of Mongolia
Immediately after departure from Ulaanbaatar Airport, the Holy Father Francis sent the following telegram to the President of Mongolia, His Excellency Mr. Khürel Sükh Ukhnaa:
HIS EXCELLENCY KHÜRELSÜKH UKHNAA
PRESIDENT OF MONGOLIA
ULAANBAATAR
RETURNING TO ROME AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY, I WISH TO EXPRESS ONCE AGAIN MY DEEP SENSE OF GRATITUDE TO YOUR EXCELLENCY, THE AUTHORITIES AND THE PEOPLE OF MONGOLIA, FOR THE WARM WELCOME AND GENEROUS HOSPITALITY AFFORDED ME DURING THESE PAST DAYS. ASSURING YOU OF MY CONTINUED PRAYERS FOR THE PEACE, UNITY AND PROSPERITY OF THE NATION, I CORDIALLY INVOKE UPON ALL OF YOU AN ABUNDANCE OF DIVINE BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS
Telegrams to Heads of State during the flight from Ulaanbaatar to Rome
During the flight from Ulaanbaatar to Rome, while flying over China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia, and finally arriving in Italy, Pope Francis sent the following telegrams to the respective Heads of State:
Overflight China
HIS EXCELLENCY XI JINPING
PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
BEIJING
HEADING BACK TO ROME AFTER MY JOURNEY TO MONGOLIA, I WILLINGLY RENEW MY PRAYERFUL GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF CHINA, AND I INVOKE UPON YOU ALL AN ABUNDANCE OF DIVINE BLESSINGS
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Kazakhstan
HIS EXCELLENCY KASSYM-JOMART TOKAYEV
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
ASTANA
FLYING OVER YOUR COUNTRY ON MY RETURN FLIGHT TO ROME, I SEND GREETINGS OF GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF KAZAKHSTAN, TOGETHER WITH RENEWED ASSURANCES OF MY PRAYERS FOR THE GOOD OF THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Azerbaijan
HIS EXCELLENCY ILHAM ALIYEV
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN
BAKU
EN ROUTE TO ROME AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO MONGOLIA, I WILLINGLY SEND CORDIAL GOOD WISHES TO YOU AND THE PEOPLE OF AZERBAIJAN, TOGETHER WITH MY PRAYERS FOR THE UNITY AND CONCORD OF THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Georgia
HER EXCELLENCY SALOME ZOURABICHVILI
PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA
TBILISI
I ONCE AGAIN SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY, AS I FLY OVER GEORGIA ON MY RETURN JOURNEY FROM MONGOLIA TO ROME. ASSURING YOU OF MY PRAYERS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA, I INVOKE UPON THE NATION ALMIGHTY GOD’S BLESSINGS OF PEACE AND JOY.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Turkey
HIS EXCELLENCY RECEP TAYYIP ERDOĞAN
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TÜRKIYE
ANKARA
RETURNING TO ROME AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO MONGOLIA, I OFFER THE RENEWED ASSURANCE OF MY PRAYERS FOR YOUR EXCELLENCY AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF TÜRKIYE, UPON WHOM I GLADLY INVOKE THE ALMIGHTY’S ABUNDANT BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Bulgaria
HIS EXCELLENCY RUMEN RADEV
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
SOFIA
FLYING OVER BULGARIA ON MY RETURN JOURNEY TO ROME FROM MONGOLIA, I SEND GREETINGS OF GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, AND I INVOKE AN ABUNDANCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD’S BLESSINGS UPON THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Serbia
HIS EXCELLENCY ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
BELGRADE
PASSING THROUGH SERBIAN AIRSPACE AS I TRAVEL BACK TO ROME, I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, AND I WILLINGLY ASSURE YOU ONCE AGAIN OF MY PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE NATION.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Montenegro
HIS EXCELLENCY JAKOV MILATOVIĆ
PRESIDENT OF MONTENEGRO
PODGORICA
ON MY WAY BACK TO ROME AFTER MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO MONGOLIA, I SEND GREETINGS OF GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. UPON ALL OF YOU, I CORDIALLY INVOKE AN ABUNDANCE OF DIVINE BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Bosnia and Herzegovina
HIS EXCELLENCY ŽELJKO KOMŠIĆ
CHAIRMAN OF THE PRESIDENCY OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
SARAJEVO
AS I FLY OVER BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA ON MY RETURN JOURNEY TO ROME FROM MONGOLIA, I SEND WARM GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. INVOKING DIVINE BLESSINGS UPON THE NATION, I PRAY THAT THE ALMIGHTY WILL BLESS YOU ALL WITH PEACE AND JOY.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Croatia
HIS EXCELLENCY ZORAN MILANOVIĆ
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
ZAGREB
EN ROUTE TO ROME AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO MONGOLIA, I EXTEND GREETINGS OF GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, TOGETHER WITH THE ASSURANCE OF MY PRAYERS FOR THE CROATIAN PEOPLE.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Arrival - Italy
HIS EXCELLENCY
HON. SERGIO MATTARELLA
PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC
QUIRINAL PALACE 00187 ROME
AS I RETURN FROM THE APOSTOLIC JOURNEY THAT LED ME AS A PILGRIM OF HOPE TO MONGOLIA, WHERE I ENCOURAGED THE SMALL PORTION OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD COMMITTED, WITH A MISSIONARY AND ECUMENICAL SPIRIT, TO THE WITNESS OF CHARITY AND MERCY, I CORDIALLY RENEW TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AND THE BELOVED ITALIAN PEOPLE MY HEARTFELT GREETING AND MY PATERNAL BLESSING, AS AN INCENTIVE TO COOPERATE FOR A MORE FRATERNAL AND PEACEFUL WORLD.
FRANCISCUS PP.
