The Pope told a crowd of thousands in Budapest’s sprawling Heroes Square that he wanted them to be “land and open, rooted and thoughtful”.
Pope Francis met with Hungary’s anti-migration Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday before calling on pilgrims to be “open” and “considerable” at an open-air event in Budapest.
The head of the 1.3 billion Catholics has often urged help for all religions who are marginalized and fleeing war and poverty, in contrast to Mr. Orban who presents himself as a defender of “Christian Europe” from immigrants.
The Pope told a crowd of thousands in Budapest’s sprawling Heroes Square that he wanted them to be “land and open, rooted and thoughtful”.
Thousands of people crowded the nearby main street, with screens and loudspeakers installed, while others watched from nearby balconies and other buildings.
“I think the pope never says anything without reason. His words are well chosen and carry a subtle message,” said Zuzsanna Puztai, a 75-year-old retired AFP.
‘Anti-Christian’ Jibs
The pope met with Orbán and other senior politicians behind closed doors at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest to kick off the International Eucharistic Congress in Hungary.
“I told Pope Francis not to let Christian Hungary be destroyed,” Mr Orban posted a photo of the two shaking hands on his Facebook page.
As a gift, he provided a copy of a letter written in 1250 by King Béla IV to Pope Innocent IV, asking for help against Mongol warriors threatening Christian Hungary.
Describing the meeting as “amicable”, the Vatican said the men discussed environmental protection and promoting the family among other topics.
Over the years, no love has been lost in Hungary between Orbán supporters and the leader of the Catholic world.
Pro-Orban media and political figures have taken a jibe at the pontiff for his pro-refugee sentiments, calling him “anti-Christian”.
The Pope spent just seven hours in Hungary before flying to Slovakia for a total of four days’ journey.
migrant lines
Argentina regularly reminds “Old Europe” that its culture and society were built on waves of new arrivals.
Earlier in the day, he told Hungarian bishops that the various ethnic and religious groups presented a “great opportunity” to “turn this country into a multicultural environment”.
In contrast, Mr. Orban’s signature crusade against migration includes border fencing and detention camps for asylum seekers.
Mr Orban’s supporters instead point to the state-funded aid agency “Hungary Helps” that works to rebuild churches and schools in war-torn Syria, and send doctors to Africa.
Mr Orban’s critics, however, accuse him of using Christianity as a shield to evade criticism and of using it as a sword to attack opponents targeting vulnerable minorities such as migrants.
A few days before the Pope’s arrival, posters appeared on the streets of the Hungarian capital – where the city council is controlled by the anti-Orban opposition – reading “Budapest welcomes the Holy Fathers” and calling for solidarity and tolerance towards minorities. Showing his quotes.
health concerns
This is the first papal visit to Hungary since Pope John Paul II in 1996.
The 84-year-old pontiff’s 34th visit abroad comes two months after a colon operation that required general anaesthetic and 10 days of hospital recovery.
Meeting with Christian and Jewish leaders earlier in the day, Pope Francis warned of “the anti-Semitism threat still lurking in Europe and elsewhere”.
During that speech he remained seated, apologizing that “I am not 15 years old”.
Hungary’s 100,000-strong Jewish community is one of the largest in Central Europe.
But Mr. Orbán has been regularly accused of running anti-Semitic campaigns that portray Hungarian-born financier George Soros as the puppet master controlling EU migration policy.
Pro-Orban media has also described the pontiff as “Soros Pope” for his support of the refugees.
.