Pope Francis promoted tolerance and the acceptance of migrants at an open-air mass in Budapest. In doing so, he distanced himself from the policies of Hungarian Prime Minister Orban – who was in the audience.
At the end of his three-day visit to Hungary, Pope Francis called for openness and tolerance. It is sad and hurts “to see closed doors to people,” said the head of the Catholic Church during an open-air mass in Budapest.
“Let’s open the doors,” he said in front of thousands of believers, citing foreigners, migrants and the poor as examples, as well as people who “step out of line”. “Being open and inclusive to one another to help Hungary grow in brotherhood, which is the way of peace” is the need of the hour, Pope Francis stressed.
At a distance from Orban
The 86-year-old contradicted the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who rejects the immigration of migrants and therefore had fences erected on the border with Serbia. Orban, who presents himself as a protector of Christian values, attended the mass. President Katalin Novak and Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony were also present. The green-liberal Karacsony is a political opponent of the right-wing populist Orban. Karacsony met the Pope yesterday.
The square in front of the Hungarian Parliament seated around 25,000 people. Thousands of believers watched the fair outside the area on large screens.
About 25,000 people had gathered in the square in front of Parliament in sunny weather to see the Pope.
The “Tortured Ukrainian Neighbors”
After the prayer, Francis again mentioned peace and recalled the “tormented neighboring Ukrainian people and the Russian people”. He advocated a “future of hope, not war” and a “world of brotherhood, not walls”. The Catholic priest paid tribute to Hungary’s help to Ukrainian war refugees. Yesterday he spoke to people from Ukraine.
Following the outdoor mass, Francis will complete one more event in Budapest before returning to Rome. He speaks about European culture at the Péter Pázmány Catholic University.