Pope Francis will be visiting Hungary this week where his spiritual priorities will be on display. The populist government aims to downplay its diverging views on matters like immigration and minority rights while focusing instead on points where it aligns with the pontiff.
On his three-day trip that begins this Friday, Pope Francis will meet with children with disabilities, refugees and those living in poverty. He will also have an audience with Hungary's president and its nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban.
The visit is expected to be a political boon for Orban, whose contentious stances on migration, the war in Ukraine and LGBTQ+ rights stand in stark contrast with Francis' views of inclusion and acceptance for the marginalised and support for Ukraine during Russia's war, as reported by The Associated Press.
Yet the cardinal of Hungary's Roman Catholic Church, Peter Erdo, as well as other members of the Catholic community, expect the pope's visit to be a celebration of Christian unity, and that differences of opinion will not play a central role.
“When there is a papal Mass to which bishops and priests from different countries come in large numbers, there is a feeling that the whole church is present there,” Erdo said in an interview with AP. “He's making a pastoral visit to us specifically out of love and attention to the Hungarian Catholic community and the Hungarian people ... and I think this is a great joy.”
Speaking after an Easter Mass celebrated by Erdo in Budapest, Erzsebet Markus, a believer from the capital, said Francis spending three full days in the country was “very significant” for Hungarian Christians and for Hungary at large.
“I think that he's spending so much time here represents an appreciation for us and for the country,” she said.
Francis is also scheduled to visit with members of Hungary's scientific and cultural sectors. On his final day, he plans to preside over a Sunday Mass on a square in central Budapest.
But the war in Ukraine will loom large as he meets with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who have remained in Hungary after 2.5 million fled across the country's eastern borders early in the Russian invasion.
His trip is bringing Francis the closest he has travelled to the conflict in Ukraine. His itinerary includes a stop at a Greek Catholic church that has provided care for refugees. The Greek Catholic Church is one of the Eastern rite Catholic churches that recognize papal authority.
(With AP inputs)
