During an official welcome ceremony in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital, a small group of Chinese Catholics excitedly waved their country's flag as they tried to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis.

Despite the Vatican's lack of diplomatic relations with China, these Chinese Catholics, who belong to both state-backed and underground churches, expressed their devotion by attending the ceremony. Among them was Yang Guang, a 37-year-old Catholic from Shanghai, who came to Mongolia for a holiday and was thrilled to see the pope at Sukhbaatar Square. Photo by Long Thiên, Wikimedia commons.