While 2022 saw a record number of people leaving the church in Germany, Catholic dioceses in the country simultaneously saw an influx in baptism and marriage ceremonies.
Onboard his flight to Mongolia, Pope Francis said he knew some people were upset by the remarks, but the church must keep moving forward. “They got angry, but let’s move on, move on.”
No bishop from mainland China has been allowed to travel to Mongolia as Pope Francis makes the first-ever visit by the leader of the Catholic Church to this vast landlocked country sandwiched between China and Russia.