austraLasia 1358
Mongolia - some good and some not so good news
ULAAN BAATOR: 15th December 2005 -- This Christmas, the
Salesians and the youngsters and families they work with, will be able
to use the Cathedral in the Capital, Ulaan Baator, for the ceremonies.
This is good news, for the cathedral is new and spacious and uplifting,
and Catholics are so few in number in Mongolia that a coming together
in the Cathedral is a wonderful event in itself. The not so good news
is the developing situation, not unknown in countries where foreigners
have until recently been a rare sight and where Christian and
especially Catholic missionaries were banned entry, of some reaction
against both foreign and Catholic. Demonstrations against foreign
presence and foreign ownership of land are planned in the next few
days. Some of these reactions, and they include violent reactions,
have been directed towards businesses run by Chinese, but the Church
too, is implicated in ownership issues. Of course, Mongolia is highly
dependent on foreign aid and assistance, and many foreigners, including
Religious, are in Mongolia at the invitation of the Government. Since
1990, elections have seen a generally peaceful transfer of power.
Elections in 2005 saw a return of the Mongolian Peoples Revolutionary
Party with Nambariin Enkhbayar elected President. He was president
also 1990-1994 as Mongolia slowly moved from Soviet domination.
Perhaps that says it all.
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