All you need to know about the Pope’s visit to Hungary – photos

Pope Francis arrives in Hungary on Friday for a three-day stay in Budapest. The visit will bring a number of changes to the Hungarian capital.

Pope visit

This is the fourth time since 1991 that the current Pope has visited Hungary. Pope John Paul II visited our country in August 1991 and September 1996. It will be Pope Francis ‘ second Budapest visit after September 2021.

Pope Francis will participate in ten private and public meetings and will give a total of six speeches.

The Catholic head of state’s plane will land at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport on Friday at 10 AM.

Pope Francis will first head to Buda Castle, where he will be received by President of the Republic Katalin Novák on the main square in front of the Sándor Palace. Following his courtesy visit to the head of state, the head of the Church will meet with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and then with representatives of the state authorities, society and the diplomatic corps at the Carmelite Monastery.

On Friday afternoon, Pope Francis will meet with bishops, priests, deacons, monks, seminarians and pastoral staff at St Stephen’s Basilica.

On Saturday morning, Pope Francis will pay a private visit to the Blessed Batthyány-Strattmann László Home for Blind Children.

Pope Francis will bring encouragement, hope and a “message of peace” when he visits Hungary this weekend, President Katalin Novák said in an interview with German Catholic weekly Die Tagespost, which was published on Thursday.

It has been almost 30 years since the last pastoral visit by a pontiff to Hungary, Novák said, adding she believed that Hungary had “made a great impression” on Francis when he visited the country to celebrate the closing mass of the International Eucharistic Congress in 2021.

The president said the pope’s visit was an honour not just for Catholics but all Hungarians. “We have been living in the immediate shadow of war for over a year,” Novák said, adding that all nations hoped for a peaceful, stable and secure world. “This is the message we need.”

She continued that the pope could play a key role in bringing about peace talks in Ukraine. “He can speak directly to both parties involved in the conflict as well as their respective partners,” Novák explained. “He is the one who can build bridges and break through the walls.”