Pope Francis heads to Mongolia on Thursday, a predominantly Buddhist country with just 1,450 Catholics, which the Vatican hopes can act as a facilitator to improve difficult relations with China.
The chartered ITA Airways plane carrying the pope and his entourage was due to leave Rome at 6.30 p.m. for the 9 hour, 30 minute flight to Ulaanbaatar.
The first event for Francis, 86 and in need of a wheelchair, is on Saturday, when he addresses government leaders and the diplomatic corps. With rainfall in long-term decline, around three-quarters of Mongolia's land is blighted by desertification and drought, and more than 200 small lakes have dried up since 1980.
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