During the flight to Mongolia, Pope Francis exchanged a few words with the journalists. He concluded by telling them that to understand Mongolia one must listen to it—to the silence of its vast steppe region: "Mongolia can be understood through the senses," he said. The Pope recommended listening to the music of Aleksandr Porfir'evič Borodin, the 19th century Russian composer, well known for his works such as "On the Steppes of Central Asia" and his opera, "Prince Igor."
WORDS OF POPE FRANCIS ON THE FLIGHT TO MONGOLIA
A comment made to me by one of you inspired me to tell you these things. Going to Mongolia is going to a small population and a big land. Mongolia seems to be never ending and the inhabitants are few. A small people of great culture. I think it will do us good to understand this silence, so great, so profound. It will help us understand what it means but not intellectually. It will help to understand it with our senses. Mongolia is understood with our senses. I dare to say it will do good to maybe listen a little bit to Borodin's music that was able to express what this breadth and greatness of Mongolia means. Thank you.
JRB
TR: KG
