The Pope will have a brief meeting with Prime Minister Orbán and President Áder. Francis will then say mass to conclude a church conference that began Sunday last week. The Pope’s very short stay in Budapest is seen as a statement by the Vatican, which seems to give priority to the visit to Slovakia.
Migration and LGBTI rights
The Vatican has stated that the visit to Hungary is not an official papal visit and that the Pope has only been invited to conclude the meeting.
Francis has repeatedly criticized countries such as Hungary that have nationalist and populist policies and strict migration policies. In Hungary, the rights of LGBT people are also contained, while Francis seems more tolerant of this group than his predecessors, for example by registered partnership to advocate for gays.
The organizers expect 75,000 people to attend mass on Heroes’ Square in Budapest, but there are not many corona measures. Despite a call from a Hungarian doctors’ organization, the organizers have decided not to demand vaccination or test certificates or the wearing of face masks.
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