Pope Leo XIV received Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary for a private audience at the Apostolic Palace on Monday, 27 October. According to reports by the Hungarian state media, the Prime Minister was discussing the Vatican and Hungary’s joint peace efforts in the Russo–Ukrainian war.
‘Papal audience. Today, I asked His Holiness to ensure that the Vatican continues to support Hungary’s efforts against war,’ the prime minister wrote in a Facebook post after the meeting.
This was the first time PM Orbán met with Pope Leo XIV in person. The Pope was elected to the papacy by the papal conclave in May of this year. At his inaugural mass, Hungary was represented by President Tamás Sulyok, not the prime minister. Pope Leo XIV’s predecessor, Pope Francis, visited Hungary twice during his time in office and was a strong advocate for a negotiated peace between Russia and Ukraine, along with PM Orbán.
For his most recent meeting with the Pope, the Hungarian head of government was accompanied by First Lady Anikó Lévai and other members of his family, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén of Hungary.
The Vatican News reports that PM Orbán first held talks with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.
The Holy See Press Office stated in a press release that the discussions underscored the ‘close bilateral relationship’ between the Vatican and Hungary. The friendly meeting also expressed gratitude for the Catholic Church’s efforts to advance social development and improve the well-being of people in Hungary, especially through its focus on family life, education, youth, and supporting vulnerable Christian communities.
Additionally, the conversation touched on the situation in the Middle East and various European matters, with particular attention to the war in Ukraine.
Related articles:
