Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, wearing a traditional robe, wide-brimmed Mongol hat and boots, welcomed Francis at the ceremony and greeted a small crowd of onlookers.

Francis, who is sometimes received as a superstar on trips abroad, arrived in Mongolia on Friday (September 1) to the joy of its tiny Catholic community but with his presence barely making a ripple in the overwhelmingly Buddhist country.