Pope Francis lands in Ulaanbaatar at start of historic visit to Mongolia

The former Soviet country has fewer than 1,500 Roman Catholics

Transcript

00:00 Pope Francis arrived in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, in a visit that's seen as a gesture

00:07 of support for the Buddhist-majority country's tiny Catholic population of about 1,400 people.

00:14 The visit's crucial in keeping the door open for improved Vatican ties with Beijing and

00:19 Moscow, which have yet to offer the Pope an invitation. The trip will be a stamina test

00:24 for the 86-year-old pontiff, who continues to travel using a wheelchair after undergoing

00:29 a hernia operation in June.

00:31 [WHOOSH]

00:32 (whooshing)