Pope calls for openness after meeting Hungary’s Viktor Orban before heading to Slovakia

During the visit that lasted just seven hours, the pope urged tens of thousands thronging Heroes’ Square in Budapest to be ‘grounded and open’

As a gift, Prime Minister Orban gave the pope a copy of a letter written by King Bela IV to Pope Innocent IV in 1250 asking for help against Mongol warriors

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Pope Francis and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, left, and Hungarian President Janos Ader, centre at back, in the Romanesque Hall of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday. Photo: Vatican Media / AFP

Published: 3:34am, 13 Sep 2021Updated: 3:34am, 13 Sep 2021

Pope Francis met Hungary’s anti-migration Prime Minister Viktor Orban on a whistle-stop trip to the country on Sunday in which he called for greater openness, before heading for a four-day tour of Slovakia.

During a Hungarian visit that lasted just seven hours, the pope had urged tens of thousands thronging the vast Heroes’ Square in Budapest that he wanted them to be “grounded and open, rooted and considerate”.

The head of 1.3 billion Catholics has often urged help for the marginalised and those of all religions fleeing war and poverty, in contrast to Orban who styles himself as a defender of “Christian Europe” from immigrants.

Pope Francis arrives to lead the Holy mass at Heroes Square in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Thousands more crowded a nearby main boulevard, along which screens and loudspeakers had been set up, while others watched from nearby balconies and other buildings.

“The pope never says anything without reason. His words are well chosen and carry a subtle message,” said Zsuzsanna Pusztai, 75.