Among the hundreds of onlookers from several countries at the back of the square were many Catholics from mainland China, present in defiance of an order from the authorities in Beijing prohibiting not only the bishops of mainland China but also the country’s Catholics from traveling to Mongolia.

Without daily prayer and respect for the structure and unity of the church, “our strength will fail, and our pastoral work will risk becoming an empty delivery of services, a roster of duties that end up inducing only weariness and frustration,” Pope Francis said in Ulaanbaatar on Sept. 2.

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.”

Pope Francis will visit Mongolia’s 1,400 Catholics from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4. What do they expect from the pope's visit?

Muslims in eastern Pakistan went on a rampage Wednesday over allegations that a Christian man had desecrated the Quran, demolishing the man’s house, burning churches and damaging several other homes.

Vietnam has formally agreed to let a Vatican representative live in the country and open an office. The Holy See announced the conclusion of an agreement during a visit to the Vatican by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, who met with Pope Francis.