Advocating for peace in Ukraine will be one of the central themes of Pope Francis' speeches in Hungary, said Csaba Török, parish governor of Esztergom, television correspondent of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference (MKPK), who held a preliminary briefing for Italian and foreign journalists.

Csaba Török emphasized: anticipation precedes the head of the church's speeches and homilies, which will most likely convey a "strong message" regarding the war in Ukraine.

He reminded that Pope Francis has been working on mediation between the opposing parties since the beginning of the war.

Csaba Török believed that the visit of Pope Francis to Hungary will have "a political message, but the moment of rapprochement between the Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow will not be in Budapest."

However, he did not rule out the possibility that during Pope Francis' stay, representatives of the Kiev and Moscow churches could also be present.

The representative of the MKPK answered the questions of journalists dealing with the Vatican on the Internet. The meeting was organized by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.

He recalled that in September 2021, on the occasion of the closing mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gave Pope Francis a copy of the letter that IV. sent by King Béla IV. Pope Ince, asking for help against the Tartars who threaten Hungarian and all European Christianity.

that Viktor Orbán's gesture was an attempt to establish contact with the Pope in today's defense of Christianity .

He explained that the Hungarian government considers itself an ally of the Vatican in urging peace in Ukraine.

According to Csaba Török, the visit of Pope Francis is needed by the Hungarian Catholic Church and the population in order to gain strength regarding the future and religious life..

In response to MTI's question, he emphasized that II. Similar to John Paul's visit in 1991, the current papal visit is considered to be a re-start in Christ, as the motto of Pope Francis' journey proclaims.

He said that during the organization of the program-rich visit of Pope Francis between April 28 and 30, it was taken into account that the 86-year-old, ailing head of the church would not get excessively tired.

He mentioned that Esztergom was left out of the sites of the papal visit due to the ongoing restoration of the basilica.

Source: MTI

Photo: MTI/Attila Kovács