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POPE FRANCIS ARRIVES IN BUDAPEST

 

Pope Francis arrived in Budapest on Friday morning for his apostolic visit to Hungary. The pontiff was greeted at the airport by Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. Church representatives included Cardinal Péter Erdő, the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Bishop András Veres, the head of the Conference of Hungarian Catholic Bishops, and Greek Catholic Metropolitan Fülöp Kocsis. Michael Wallace Banach, the apostolic nuncio, was also present, along with Miklós Soltész, the state secretary for church state relations, Bence Rétvári, a state secretary of the interior ministry, and others. The papal delegation includes Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s chief diplomat, among others. The pope was also welcomed by a group of 100 children, two of whom, dressed in traditional Hungarian folk costume, greeted him with salt and bread. Following his arrival, the pontiff held a private meeting with Deputy PM Semjén. Afterwards, he will attend a ceremonial reception at St. György Square in the Buda Castle District. Francis will then meet President Katalin Novák and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the presidential Sándor Palace, before meeting state leaders, representatives of social life and the diplomatic corps in the Carmelite Monastery. In the afternoon, the pope will meet bishops, priests, deacons, monks and pastoral staff at St. Stephen’s Basilica. On Saturday morning, Francis is scheduled to make a private visit to the László Batthyány-Strattmann Children’s Home for the visually impaired before meeting with the poor, refugees, and representatives of the Greek Catholic community in St. Elizabeth’s Church and the Greek Catholic church on Rózsák Square. The pope’s Saturday afternoon and evening programme consists of a meeting with young people in the Papp László Sports Arena and a private meeting with members of the Hungarian Jesuit society in the Apostolic Nunciature. On Sunday morning, the pontiff will celebrate mass in Kossuth Lajos Square. He will then round out his visit with a meeting with representatives of university life at Pázmány Péter Catholic University.
Francis and the Vatican delegation will leave for Rome late on Sunday afternoon following an official farewell ceremony. Public media will broadcast all public programmes connected with the pope’s visit to Hungary throughout his 3-day visit.