2023-04-28 16:13:00
| Pope Francis delivers a speech at St Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest, Hungary. 2023.04.28/News1 © Archyde.com = News1 © News1 Reporter Kim Min-soo |
Pope Francis started his three-day visit to Hungary on the 28th (local time). The pope has called for the acceptance of refugees and migrants, pointing out the dangers of nationalism that has recently risen in Europe.
According to Archyde.com, the pope urged government leaders, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, to reject nationalist interests in a speech.
Countries must “cross borders”, the pope said, returning to the “soul of Europe” envisioned by those who laid the foundations of modern Europe following World War II.
Pope Francis also spoke regarding the war in Ukraine.
The pope once more called for an end to the war in Ukraine, calling for “creative efforts for peace”.
The visit to Hungary was the first overseas trip for the 86-year-old pope since he was hospitalized with bronchitis in March.
The pope, who suffers from a knee problem, arrived at the airport with a cane and walked brightly as he was greeted by Hungarian dignitaries and citizens.
Earlier, on a flight from Rome to Hungary, when asked by reporters regarding his health, the pope joked, “I’m still alive,” and that “strong weeds never die.”
This is Pope Francis’ second visit to Hungary. Previously, he visited Hungary for 7 hours in September 2021, officiated at the closing mass of the World Eucharistic Congress, and met briefly with Prime Minister Orban.
Meanwhile, the Pope and Prime Minister Orban share different views on the issue of migrants from the Middle East and Africa to Europe. The pope is in the position that migrants fleeing poverty to Europe should be welcomed.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Orban, who also installed barbed wire on the border with Serbia to block immigrants, is refusing to turn Hungary into an ‘immigrant state’ like other countries in Europe.
During the Pope’s last visit in 2021, he asked that “Hungary, a Christian country, not perish.”
After a private meeting with President Katalin Novak and Prime Minister Orban at the Hungarian Presidential Palace, the pope said in a speech that St. Stephen I, the first king of the 11th-century Kingdom of Hungary, instructed his son to “welcome strangers kindly, respect them, Make them like being with you more than anywhere else.”
Meanwhile, Hungary supports Ukraine but still has close economic ties with Russia. The Orban government is actually refusing arms aid to Ukraine.
While the pope calls for a total ban on arms trafficking and a reduction in arms manufacturing, he has said that sending arms to Ukraine is morally permissible if it is for self-defense purposes.
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