Pope Francis will visit Hungary at the end of this month. This is not his first visit to the country, but his first pastoral visit there. Preparations are in full swing in the capital, Budapest. Hungarian Ambassador to the Holy See Habsburg-Lorraine said: “The meeting with the Pope will be an extremely intense experience for us.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis will be in Hungary from April 28 to 30 for a pastoral visit. This is not his first visit to the country; in fact, he celebrated the closing mass for the International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest two years ago. During his three-day trip to Hungary, however, the pope will meet with local church groups and with state authorities. As the visit drew near, Hungarian Ambassador to the Holy See Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen accepted an interview with this news site, emphasizing the importance of the Christian faith to the Hungarian people.
The Hungarian ambassador first stated that the pope had previously met with the Hungarians at other events. “The Pope has deeply inspired the faith of Hungarians, leaving his mark on everyday life in Hungary today.”
The ambassador continued: “Hungary likes to be called a ‘Christian country’. This term is outdated in some European countries, but Hungary makes room for Christianity in the public sphere. Churches and Christianity are clearly visible, as are other religions. So. For example, we have a strong and lively Jewish community. I would say that faith is the “normal norm” in Hungarian life, and it is no exception in politics. I think that the Pope will meet a deeply Christian country, It has its weaknesses, the secular spirit, the secular media and modern life, but in any case the Pope will meet a strong Christian community “.
Regarding some important activities of the Pope’s visit, the Hungarian Ambassador specially introduced the Pope’s meeting with blind children. He points to three reasons: “The first reason is that Hungary takes great care of families and children. The second reason is that there are also Roma children in the institution and we want to show that Roma children also have equal opportunities. Three reasons relate to the core and key theme of this trip, the “bridge to the future”, that is, youth. This year also the World Youth Day will be held, so we decided to ask the Pope first to meet children, who are part of youth.”
Speaking of the Pope’s meeting with the poor and refugees in St. Elizabeth’s Church, the Hungarian ambassador said that “Hungarian St. Elizabeth has shown his love for the poor in a wonderful way”. Therefore, it has profound symbolic significance to choose to meet the poor and weak in this church. In addition to the poor and excluded, Ukrainian refugees will also meet the Pope on this occasion. The ambassador explained that Hungary hosts one million Ukrainian refugees, of whom at least 30,000 have decided to stay in Hungary. “Here they have the opportunity to study and work. We encourage entrepreneurs to provide jobs for these refugees, because Hungary has always opened its doors to refugees, especially those fleeing the war from very neighboring countries, from Ukraine. In fact, On the border between Hungary and Ukraine, there are different Christian groups that provide all assistance services and receive refugees. There is still a large influx of refugees who can decide whether they want to move elsewhere or stay in Hungary “.
The Ambassador of Habsburg-Lorraine concluded by expressing his expectations for the Pope’s visit, saying: “May the Pope rekindle the fire of faith in Hungary. I think that the meeting with the Pope will be a strong one for us.” Extreme experience. This is the first expectation. Furthermore, I hope that the Pope will really meet Hungary, with all her spirit and gastronomy.”
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