Few leaders in the world can say that they consult regularly with the head of the Catholic Church. The chance for peace must be seized now, and for this we need both the prayers of the Holy Father and the invaluable diplomatic experience of the Vatican, emphasized Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in a video published on Facebook after he was received by Pope Francis at an audience in the Vatican on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the Vatican, after the morning papal audience, the Hungarian Prime Minister was received by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, State Secretary of the Holy See, and Miroslaw Wachowski, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
During the cordial meeting held at the State Secretariat, the parties praised the solid and fruitful bilateral relations and expressed their appreciation for the fact that the Catholic Church in Hungary is committed to promoting the development and well-being of society, the Vatican announced.
In the photo published by Vatican Media, Pope Francis (b) receives Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (k) at an audience in the Vatican on December 4, 2024. From right, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén.
MTI/Vatican Media
"I came to the Holy Father because we must seize the chance for peace now"
Viktor Orbán said in the video, adding that they will need both the prayers of the Holy Father and the invaluable diplomatic experience of the Vatican.
He emphasized that since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, two people believed in peace: the Vatican and Hungary. Peace is now tangible, he added.
He pointed out: while the world is preparing for Christmas, several European leaders argue in favor of continuing the war and increasing its intensity. The Hungarian prime minister called this dangerous, warning that we are living in dangerous weeks when the war could spread.
"Together, we must restrain world leaders from making irreversible decisions, a ceasefire is needed as soon as possible in order to seize the chance for peace"
he declared.
The Holy Father and the Hungarian Prime Minister have traditionally met annually since 2021, and the focus of their discussions are on the issues of peace, protection of families, environmental protection and ecumenism, reports Magyar Nemzet .
MTI / civilek.info
Front page image: In the image published by Vatican Media, Pope Francis (b) receives Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (j) at an audience in the Vatican on December 4, 2024. MTI/Vatican Media
