The clouds pass, but Heaven remains”: Cardinal Marengo urges the friars to focus on the essence of their mission, while the assembly begins to summarize the reflections shared in the Aula.
The session of the Order’s Plenary Council (PCO) on October 23 was marked by a special visit from Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, a member of the Consolata Missionaries. An Italian missionary and one of the youngest members of the College of Cardinals, he has served as Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar since April 2, 2020, leading the small Catholic community in Mongolia, and since April 17, 2026, he has also served as President of the Central Asian Bishops’ Conference.
Today’s Homily: “The Clouds Pass, but Heaven Remains”
The day began with a Mass celebrated by the Cardinal. Drawing inspiration from an ancient Mongolian proverb (“Clouds pass, but Heaven remains”), the Cardinal urged the Capuchin Friars Minor not to lose sight of what is essential in the face of rapid, epochal changes. In his down-to-earth address, he warned against the risk of evangelical “hypocrisy,” urging the religious not to be mere spectators of their own time, but to make courageous choices grounded in the true, unchanging rock: the personal encounter with Christ.
Emphasizing the urgency of the mission ad gentes, Marengo described the very young Church in Mongolia as a “laboratory of evangelization”: in these peripheries, there is no need to export Western ecclesial models, but there is a desperate need for flesh-and-blood witnesses capable of making God’s love visible by sharing in the life of local communities. The homily concluded with an appeal, entrusted to Mary and St. Francis, to rediscover the joy of evangelization every day.
The Presentation in the Aula: Whispering the Gospel
The Cardinal then shared his experience in the conference hall, opening a period of dialogue with the PCO delegates. He traced the deep historical bond between the Franciscans and Mongolia, recalling that the first Westerners to reach the Mongol imperial court were, in fact, two friars: Giovanni da Pian del Carpine and Guglielmo di Rubruck. After the disappearance of ancient Syriac Christianity in the 14th century, modern evangelization began anew only in 1992, at the end of the communist regime. Today, this still very young Church has about 1,700 baptized members and only one local priest, requiring a deep yet discreet missionary presence.
Drawing on an insight from Indian Bishop Thomas Menamparampil, Marengo summarized the pastoral approach using the image of “whispering the Gospel into the heart of Mongolia”: a hidden and contemplative witness for a community that represents just 0.04% of the population, yet is capable of touching the soul of Asian culture.
Responding to a question from the General Minister about the risk of reducing the mission to the sacred ministry and the celebration of the sacraments alone, the Cardinal shared his pioneering experience from 2006 on the edge of the Gobi Desert. In a region devoid of Christians, he and three sisters began by simply setting up two gers (Mongolian tents): one for the Eucharist and the other for welcoming children and serving the poor. It was precisely this fraternity that aroused local curiosity, demonstrating that initial evangelization arises from a genuine encounter with people’s needs.
Group Work
Following this enriching exchange, Friday of the second week of the PCO continued with a day entirely devoted to group work. The delegates set to work with a new objective: to synthesize the reflections and topics discussed in the preceding days, with the aim of refining and organizing the various ideas presented in the plenary sessions throughout the second week of the Council.
Indonesian
