Friday April 28
After meeting behind closed doors for 25 minutes with Katalin Novák, President of the Hungarian Republic, then 20 minutes with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the Sovereign Pontiff spoke for 20 minutes before the authorities of the country and the diplomatic corps gathered in the former Carmel which houses the seat of government in the heart of the Hungarian capital.
More than a year after the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, the prospects for peace seem non-existent, and while Kyiv is preparing to carry out a counter-offensive in the spring, Francis has decided to raise the European consciences of the Budapest. “Where are the creative efforts for peace?” he asked, while supporting Hungary’s isolated voice for a diplomatic resolution to the war.
Commending the country for its family policies when some promote “gender culture” and abortion, he also denounced the “self-referential populism” and stressed the need to welcome migrants. He pleaded for the subject to be addressed “without excuses or delays.” Because, it is “urgent for Europe to work on safe and legal ways” to respond to the historic challenge which cannot be mastered by rejection.
Then, at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Budapest, the Pope met with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians, and pastoral agents from the various dioceses of the country. In dealing with the challenges that the Church must face, he explained, she is called to a “prophetic reception,” by showing evidence of listening, of communion, and above all of fidelity to prayer.
Saturday April 29
On the second day of his visit, the Holy Father went to the Church of St. Elisabeth of Hungary for a meeting with the poor and refugees. Hungary has welcomed more than a million Ukrainian refugees since the start of the Russian offensive in February 2022, of which some tens of thousands have settled permanently.
In his speech, the Pope recalled that the poor are “at the heart of the Gospel.” The Christian must not “be imprisoned by a piety removed from life, one that results in a kind of ‘spiritual egotism,’ a spirituality of my own creation that serves to preserve my own inner tranquility and complacency.” He highlighted the example of St. Elizabeth, “the daughter of a king,” who “felt repelled by worldly riches and vanities, and sought to renounce them and care for those in need.”
Next, Francis went to the Papp László Budapest Sportaréna, the capital’s Sports Palace, where nearly 12,000 young Catholics were waiting for him. He was particularly happy and energetic, speaking with a very lively tone, and seeking to dialogue with the assembly, in a speech peppered with improvisations. After a speech by Msgr. Ferenc Palánki, bishop in charge of youth ministry, traditional Hungarian dances were performed, then four young people presented their testimonies.
The Sovereign Pontiff reminded the young people how much Jesus is “a friend, the best of friends. He is a brother, the best of brothers. . . God always forgives; He is always there to lift us up whenever we fall.” Christ does not come to restrain anyone, he continued, but he wants his disciples to be “young people who are free and press ahead, fellow travelers of a God who listens to their needs and is attentive to their dreams.… He never disparages our expectations but, on the contrary, raises the bar of our desires,” underlined the Holy Father.
“Do you sense how good it is to love the Lord, to have a large family, to help those in need? Then carry on, don’t think that these are unattainable desires. Rather, invest in the great goals of life!” encouraged Francis. And he warns: “Nowadays there is a great temptation to be satisfied with a cell phone and a few friends. What a pity! Even if many people are willing to settle for that, or even if you are too, it’s not good or healthy. You cannot shut yourselves away in small groups of friends, talking only on your cell phone.”
The pope insisted on the need to preserve silence, “Silence is the soil in which we cultivate good relationships. It allows us to entrust to Jesus whatever we are feeling,” to maintain our spiritual life. “Silence is not to sitting glued to your cell phone, or on social media. No, please! Life is real, not virtual. It does not take place on a screen, but in the world!” he implored the young Hungarians.
He continued, “Silence is “the door to prayer, and prayer is the door to love.… Prayer is dialogue of life; prayer is life,” he said, referring to the musician Franz Liszt who combined prayer and playing his instrument. The Holy Father also invited young people to “have this courage of honesty. Instead of having to act as if you are never afraid, you can freely share your vulnerability with the Lord and with others, without hiding or disguising anything, without wearing a mask.”
Because, “on every page, the Gospel tells us that the Lord does not do great things with exceptional people, but with ordinary and weak people like ourselves,” he explained. “Remember that no one can take your place in the history of the world and the Church: no one can take your place, no one can do what only you can do. Let us help each other, then, to believe that we are loved and precious, that we are made for great things,” he wished at the end of this speech.
Back at the Apostolic Nunciature, the Pope spoke briefly with Hilarion, the Orthodox Metropolitan of Hungary, former chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow. The Press Office of the Holy See specified that this meeting was cordial and lasted about 20 minutes. This meeting at the nunciature was not planned as part of the program, and Francis explained himself on the plane during the return flight:
“Hilarion is a person I respect a lot. We have always had a good relationship. And he had the courtesy to come and visit me,” he said. “I also saw him at the airport. Hilarion is a smart person to talk to. And it is necessary to maintain this relationship. We talk about ecumenism. I like it. We have to keep an outstretched hand with everyone.”
Pope Francis made his 41st trip outside Italy from April 28-30, 2023, going once again to Budapest, where he had already visited on September 12, 2021 at the closing of the International Eucharistic Congress. This time, Hungary being a country bordering Ukraine, the Pope spoke about the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Hungary strongly supports Ukraine with humanitarian, but not military, aid.