Vietnamese catholics travel to Mongolia to see pope, ask him to visit

Mai Anh from Vietnam waits outside Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral on the day Pope Francis meets with bishops, priests, missionaries, consecrated persons and pastoral workers at the cathedral, during his Apostolic Journey in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia September 2, 2023. - Reuters

ULAANBAATAR (Reuters): Vietnamese Catholics who flew thousands of miles to see Pope Francis in Mongolia had one message for the pontiff: They want him to visit their communist-run country too.

"Visit Vietnam, Papa," some in the group shouted as the pope was driven in a golf cart past a crowd of about 2,000 people of various nationalities on the grounds of the Catholic cathedral in Ulaanbaatar on Saturday.