A critical point during the visit will be the pontiff's journey in the Popemobile, which is when he will be the closest to visitors of the event, Hajdu said.Continue reading
Pope Francis arrived in Budapest on Sunday morning to celebrate the closing mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress.
The pontiff was given military honours at Liszt Ferenc International Airport and greeted by church and state delegations.
Photo: Szilárd Koszticsák/MTI
The church delegation was headed by Michael August Blume, the Apostolic Nuncio to Budapest, Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, and András Veres, the head of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The state delegation was headed by Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén, Human Resources Minister Miklós Kásler and state secretary for church and minority relations Miklós Soltész.
Photo: Szilárd Koszticsák/MTI
Francis is next scheduled to hold talks with church leaders at the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts.
He will also meet President János Áder and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán before holding talks with Hungarian bishops. Afterwards, the pope will meet with the delegations of the Ecumenical Council of Hungarian Churches and Hungarian Jewish organisations.
Francis will then meet with the Catholic faithful at Heroes’ Square before celebrating Statio Orbis, the mass closing the International Eucharistic Congress.
The pope is scheduled to leave for Bratislava in the afternoon.
Featured photo by Gergely Botár/PM’s Office/MTI