Pope Francis traveled to Hungary on Sunday, September 12, and unlike during many other official visits, the trip was short, of only seven hours. The meeting felt low-key, and it might be a clue to the rift between the two authorities. This was one of the first international visits Pope Francis has made after his surgery back in July, and it was unusually quick. The meeting between the Pope and the Prime minister was of only 40 minutes, and the nationalist and conservative Orban urged Pope Francis not to let Christian values perish.
Why did Pope Francis visit Budapest?
The pontiff visited Budapest for the International Eucharistic Congress. Pope Francis met the Hungarian President János Áder, the prime minister, and several Hungarian bishops and Hungarian Jewish organizations during his quick stop in Hungary. The Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the Vatican Foreign Minister and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher accompanied Pope Francis.
During the brief meeting with the Hungarian Prime Minister, the Catholic Church representatives talked about the role of the Catholic Church in Hungary, as well as family values. Pope Francis and the Hungarian Prime Minister have different views of what Hungarians should feel as fellow Christians. Pope Francis calls for unity and preaches against anti-Semitism, while Orban talks about the catholic values being threatened by other religions.
Before leaving for Slovakia, Pope Francis held a speech in front of tens of thousands of people in Budapest. His message was for everyone to be open and considerate. He believes a Christian should show love to everyone and that Hungary should open its arms to everyone.
Europe is still divided over the immigrant crisis
As more migrants seek asylum in Europe, there is a rift between those, much like Pope Francis, who believe Europe should open its arms to everyone, regardless of religion, and those conservative and nationalist such as Viktor Orban.
