The head of the Catholic Church recalls with pleasure his visit to Budapest in September, and he would like to make a pastoral trip to Hungary, Archbishop Cirill Hortobágyi of Pannonhalmi (pictured) told MTI after meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday.

Cirill Hortobágyi took the publication of the head of the Catholic Church's trip to Hungary and Slovakia between September 12 and 15 to the Vatican and personally handed it to Pope Francis. The Holy Father also turned pages in the book and recalled the closing mass of the International Eucharistic Congress (NEC) in Budapest, which he presented in Heroes' Square, reported the abbot of Pannonhalm.

 Summarizing the Pope's 34th apostolic journey, Live in the freedom of the Gospel! The volume, published by Bencés Kiadó and the Catholic newspaper Új Ember, contains the speeches of Pope Francis in Budapest and Slovakia in Hungarian, with photos taken at the locations of the four-day visit.

The introduction to the book was written by András Veres, county bishop of Győr, president of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference (MKPK) and Bratislava Archbishop Stanislav Zvolenský, president of the Slovak Bishops' Conference (KBS).

Speaking to MTI, the head of the Pannonhalmi Archabbey added that there was an opportunity for a short conversation during the general interrogation held in the Vatican audience hall.

"Pope Francis told us in Hungarian that 'God is welcome.'

 I reminded him: in September, on the flight back to the Vatican, he told the press that because he was touched by the meeting with the Hungarians, he would like to make a pastoral visit to Hungary. I told him that we are looking forward to it, to which Pope Francis replied: I will come," reported Cirill Hortobágyi.

He emphasized that the Benedictine Archabbey is a monastery ordered directly under the Holy See, where St. II. Pope John Paul II visited for twenty-five years. "That's why we would be happy if you could also come to Pannonhalma," he declared.

The abbot of Pannonhalm was accompanied by Konrád Dejcsics, cultural director of the abbey, among others. At the audience, the marquetry work of master furniture maker Ferenc Varga, which depicts the birth of the Child Jesus, was presented to Pope Francis.

Source: Sunday/MTI

Picture: Csaba Krizsán