Pope Francis met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, President János Áder, bishops, and members of the Ecumenical Council of Hungarian Churches and Hungarian Jewish organisations at Budapest’s Museum of Fine Arts on Sunday.
During their meeting that lasted almost 40 minutes, Pope Francis and Orbán exchanged gifts and talked about the role of the Christian Church in the society and culture of Hungary. The Pope also urged the PM to incorporate more openness in his approach towards immigration and religious freedom.
The nationalist PM Orbán is often called the Pope’s “political opposite.” His government practices a strong anti-migration stance embedded within Hungary’s Christian conservatism. Orbán also believes that Muslim immigration could destroy Hungary’s heritage.
Pope Francis, who travelled to Hungary to celebrate the closing mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, thanked “the great Hungarian Christian family.” The Pope said he desires for the Church to remain “rooted” in its heritage and historical prestige while also progressing to be more “open and considerate” to “others.” “The cross, planted in the ground, not only invites us to be well-rooted, but it also raises and extends its arms towards everyone...without defensiveness, opening ourselves to the thirst of the men and women of our time,” he said in his remarks after the mass.
Reuters mentioned that the Pope has repeatedly criticised Hungary’s isolationist actions separate from the rest of Europe in response to the migration crisis. In light of the current global situation, where people from various nations are compelled to seek asylum and resettle in foreign countries, the Pope promoted European unity in solving the crisis.
Responding to the Pope’s comments in a Facebook post, Orbán referred to the migration situation as a “demographic crisis” and stated, “I asked Pope Francis not to let Christian Hungary perish.”
Moreover, Orbán’s gift to the Pope—the copy of a 13th-century letter from Hungarian King Bela IV to Pope Innocent IV—reinstated his traditionalist Christian nationalist beliefs and anti-migration policies. In the letter, the King demanded the then Pope’s support in resisting the Mongol invasion of Hungary.
Apart from immigration, the Pope suggested that the Orbán administration practice openness regarding religious freedom to bridge the prevalent gaps between Judaism and Christianity in Hungary.
In his interaction with the delegations of the Ecumenical Council of Hungarian Churches, Pope Francis claimed that traces of anti-semitism was “lurking” across Hungary and urged Hungarian Christians and Jews to unitedly prevent the “waves of hate” from damaging their relationship. “I think of the threat of antisemitism still lurking in Europe and elsewhere...this is a fuse that must not be allowed to burn. And the best way to defuse it is to work together, positively, and to promote fraternity,” he said.
Orbán has denied the allegations of antisemitism in the past as “simply ridiculous.” The allegations are a reference to Orbán’s treatment of Hungarian Jewish investor George Soros during the 2017 election campaign. The campaign included posters of Soros, who favours immigration, with the words “Let’s not allow Soros to have the last laugh!” At the time, Orbán rejected the Jewish community’s plea to take down the posters, further strengthening his anti-immigration stance and causing speculation about his antisemitic sentiments. However, Orbán has repeatedly claimed that the Jewish people are an integral part of Hungary and that his government has “zero tolerance” for anti-semitism.
The Pope departed from Budapest for Bratislava, Slovakia, on Sunday afternoon. His recommendations to the Orbán-led government have stirred significant discussion and debate in Hungary.