Pope Francis to visit Hungary at the end of April, will focus on European migration, Russia's war in Ukraine

Pope Francis will sojourn Hungary astatine nan extremity of April, nan Vatican said Monday, successful a travel expected to attraction connected migration to Europe and Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine.

The April 28-30 travel to Budapest represents a due authorities sojourn aft Francis made a brief, hours-long stopover successful 2021 to adjacent retired a religion conference. That sojourn was visibly awkward, fixed that Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s hard-line views connected migration and Francis' telephone for countries to invited those fleeing war, hardship and poverty.

Since then, Hungary has accepted hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion. Francis, who has many times expressed solidarity pinch Ukraine, met astatine nan Vatican pinch Orban past April and thanked him for taking them in.

Upon arrival, Francis will meet pinch Orban, a contentious leader who has centered his governmental marque astir a staunch rejection of migration and a attraction connected preventing Hungary from becoming "mixed race."

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While Hungary accepted Ukrainian refugees, it has refused to provide weapons to Kyiv aliases let their transportation crossed its borders, and has lobbied against European Union sanctions connected Moscow and held up immoderate financial assistance packages to Ukraine.

Francis has been supportive of Ukraine’s plight pursuing Russia’s penetration -- likening it to a 1930s genocide of Ukrainians blamed connected Soviet leader Joseph Stalin -- while Orban has been lukewarm successful his support for Hungary’s eastbound neighbor.

Pope Francis recites nan Angelus noon dream from nan model of his workplace astatine nan Vatican connected Feb. 26, 2023. Francis is group to sojourn Hungary astatine nan extremity of April. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Still, Orban has formed his position of nan warfare arsenic being successful statement pinch nan Vatican’s, saying during a reside Feb. 18 that his authorities and nan papacy were nan only powers successful Europe advocating for bid successful Ukraine.

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Francis has besides tried to support relations pinch Moscow and nan Russian Orthodox Church. Hungary was cardinal successful blocking nan EU from sanctioning nan caput of nan Russian church, Patriarch Kirill, complete his support for nan war.

Francis will meet pinch refugees during his visit, arsenic good arsenic children. On his last day, he will present a reside to nan Hungarian world and taste world, successful which he is apt to rumor a connection to Europe astatine large.

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Francis, who conscionable returned from Congo and South Sudan, has different trips confirmed aliases successful nan useful this year. The 86-year-old pope, who marks his 10th day arsenic pontiff adjacent month, is owed to participate successful World Youth Day successful Lisbon, Portugal successful August. He has said nan Vatican is studying a imaginable travel to Mongolia astatine nan extremity of September, aft a little extremity successful Marseille, France.