ULAANBAATAR: Calling himself one of the “humble heirs” of ancient schools of wisdom and quoting the Buddha, Pope Francis on Sunday urged all religions to live in harmony and shun ideological fundamentalism that foments violence.
Francis was speaking at an inter-religious meeting in the Mongolian capital and sharing the stage in a theater with a dozen other religious representatives — the type of gathering that Francis’ conservative critics have assailed in the past.
The primary purpose of the pope’s visit to Mongolia is to meet the country’s tiny Catholic community, at 1,450 members one of the world’s smallest. He is due to say a Mass for them later on Sunday.
Mongolia borders with China and the pope has also used trip to send an apparent message to Beijing, which has difficult relations with the Vatican, that governments have nothing to fear from the Catholic Church because it has no political agenda.
Since he started the trip, Francis has praised religious freedom in Mongolia, which was severely repressed while the country was in the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence — a fact mentioned by one of the Buddhist leaders who addressed him.
“Religions are called to offer the world this harmony, which technological progress alone cannot bestow,” Francis said after listening to addresses from leaders representing Mongolian Buddhists, Muslims, Evangelicals, Jews, Orthodox, Mormans, Hindus, Shintos, Bahais and Shamans.
“Brothers and sisters, today we are meeting together as the humble heirs of ancient schools of wisdom. In our encounter with one another, we want to share the great treasure we have received, for the sake of enriching a humanity so often led astray on its journey by the myopic pursuit of profit and material comfort,” he said.
Francis quoted from a writings of the Buddha that says “the wise man rejoices in giving,” noting it was similar to Jesus’ saying “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Conservative Catholics, such as Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan, have lambasted the pope for even attending such gatherings, calling them “a supermarket of religions” that diminishes the status of the Catholic Church.
But the pope repeated on Sunday that he put great importance in “ecumenical, inter-religious and cultural dialogue.” He said dialogue did not mean “to gloss over difference” but to seek understanding and enrichment.
He condemned “narrowness, unilateral imposition, fundamentalism and ideological constraint,” saying they destroy fraternity, fuel tensions and compromise peace.
“There can be no mixing, then, of religious beliefs and violence, of holiness and oppression, of religious traditions and sectarianism,” Francis said.
Several of the leaders, including the Jewish representative Yair Jacob Porat, and the shaman, imparted a special blessing from their religions on the pope, wishing him health and a long life.
There are only a handful of permanent Jewish residents in Mongolia, with the community ministering mostly to tourists and business travelers.
Pope Francis, quoting Buddha, urges religious dialogue to fight fundamentalism
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Pope Francis, quoting Buddha, urges religious dialogue to fight fundamentalism
- Pontiff speaks at an inter-religious meeting in the Mongolian capital
- Since he started the trip, Francis has praised religious freedom in Mongolia
Two high-speed trains derail in Spain, broadcaster reports seven people killed
- The accident happened near Adamuz, which is near Cordoba
MADRID: Two high-speed trains derailed on Sunday in southern Spain, the rail network operator said, and state-run television channel RTVE said seven people had died, citing police sources.
The accident happened near Adamuz, in Cordoba province. Seven people have been confirmed dead by police, RTVE said, adding that 100 people have been injured, 25 seriously.
Spanish police did not immediately respond to request for comment from Reuters.
“The Iryo 6189 Malaga — (to Madrid) train has derailed from the track at Adamuz, crashing onto the adjacent track. The (Madrid) to Huelva train which was traveling on the adjacent track has also derailed,” said Adif, which runs the rail network, in a social media post.
Adif said the accident happened at 6:40 p.m. (1740 GMT), about ten minutes after the Iryo train left Cordoba heading toward Madrid.
Iryo is a private rail operator, majority-owned by Italian state-controlled railway group Ferrovie dello Stato. The train involved was a Freccia 1000 train which was traveling between Malaga and Madrid, a spokesperson for Ferrovie dello Stato said.
Iryo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Adif has suspended all rail services between Madrid and Andalusia.
Andalusia emergency services said on social media that all rail traffic had been halted and emergency services were on their way, including at least nine ambulances and emergency support vehicles.
CALLS FOR MEDICS
A woman named Carmen posted on X that she had been on board the Iryo to Madrid. “Ten minutes after departing (from Cordoba) the train started to shake a lot, and it derailed from coach 6 behind us. The lights went out.”
Footage posted by another Iryo train passenger, also on X, showed an Iryo staffer in a fluorescent jacket instructing passengers to remain in their seats in the darkened carriages, and those with first aid training to keep watch over fellow passengers.
The staffer told passengers they would be evacuated when it was safe to leave, but at that moment the safest place was on the train. He also urged people to maintain mobile phone batteries to be able to use their torches when they disembarked.
The passenger wrote: “In our carriage we’re well but we don’t know about the other carriages. There’s smoke and they’re calling for a doctor.”
The regional government has activated emergency protocols to mobilize more resources to the accident site. Locals posted on social media that a building would be set up in the village nearest the crash for evacuated passengers to be taken to.
Salvador Jimenez, a journalist for RTVE who was on board the Iryo train, shared images showing the nose of the rear carriage of the train lying on its side, with evacuated passengers sitting on the side of the carriage facing upwards.
Jimenez told TVE by phone from beside the stricken trains that passengers had used emergency hammers to smash the windows and climb out, and they had seen two people taken out of the overturned carriages on stretchers.
“There’s a certain uncertainty about when we’ll get to Madrid, where we’ll spend the night, we’ve had no message from the train company yet,” he said. “It’s very cold but here we are.”
