Budapest, Hungary (AP) — Pope Francisco travels quickly to Hungary on his first major international trip since undergoing an intestinal surgery in July, celebrating the Misa, and clashing right-wing antiimmigration policies with Victor. Meet with Prime Minister Oban. Francisco called on countries to welcome refugees.

Francis begins a four-day trip to Slovakia, which stops for seven hours on Sundays in the Hungarian capital. He will also meet with Hungarian religions and the Hungarian President and Prime Minister, but has passed Budapest to celebrate the closing Mass of the International Conference on the Eucharist.

Organizers said that Hungary, like other European countries, is advancing with little restrictions on the coronavirus, even though it is fighting infections caused by highly contagious delta mutants. We expect as many as 75,000 people at Mass.

Despite a petition from the Hungarian Medical Association, Congressional organizers have decided not to require COVID-19 vaccination, testing, masks, or social distance to attend. However, the organizer said he had ordered 30,000 masks for distribution as well as hand sanitizers and urged all attendees to be cautious.

The Vatican and travel organizers emphasized that Francis was only invited to Hungary to celebrate the Mass and did not make the proper state and idyllic visits as he does in Slovakia. Francis and Oban disagree on many issues, especially immigrants, and Francis’ limited stay in Budapest sent the Pope for a longer pilgrimage before the next general election. A spring that may indicate that you do not want to give the Oban government a political boost to host.

Rev. Cornell Fabry, Secretary-General of the Eucharist, said:

He said the majority of Hungarians supported Oban’s immigration policy, saying “we shouldn’t bring the problem to Europe, but we should help where the problem lies.”

Olburn has often described his government as an advocate of European Christian civilization and as a breakwater against migration from Muslim-dominated countries. Francis expressed solidarity with immigrants and refugees and criticized what he called “national populism” promoted by governments like Hungary. He urged the government to welcome and integrate as many migrants as possible.

Approximately 39% of Hungarians declared Roman Catholic in the 2011 census, and 13% declared that they were either Lutheran or Calvinist Protestants, the Protestant branch of Oban. bottom.

Still, religious commitments in Hungary lag behind many of its neighbors. According to a 2018 survey by the Pew Research Center, only 14% of Hungarians said religion was an important part of their lives and 17% said they participated in religious service at least monthly. ..

Nevertheless, the registered church has been a major beneficiary of state support under Oban since returning to power in 2010. Business website G7 estimates that Hungary’s central budget donations to churches have increased from about $ 117 million in 2009 to more than $ 588 million. 2016.

In addition, since 2010, approximately 3,000 places of worship have been built or restored using public funds. This is part of the Oban government’s efforts to promote what he calls “Christian democracy,” replacing the liberal rule he often criticizes.

Orban has been accused of recent policies that appear to cover the rights of LGBT people, including a law passed in June that bans the depiction of homosexuality and sex reassignment in the media consumed by minors. increase. In July, the European Union’s executive branch launched two separate proceedings against the Hungarian government over what is called an infringement of LGBT rights. The government says the measures that accompany the law, which allows for stricter penalties for pedophilia, are solely aimed at protecting children.

However, critics compared the law to Russia’s 2013 homosexuality propaganda law, alleging that it mistakenly confused homosexuality with childhood as part of a campaign to mobilize conservative voters before the election. ..

The Roman Catholic Church, which holds a terrifying record of protecting children from priestly predators, claims that homosexuality is “essentially chaotic,” and Francis recently said that priests have recently blessed same-sex unions. Approved the statement that it could not.

But he also called for the church to accompany the LGBT community and support the civil union when he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires as an alternative to gay marriage. He is seen as welcoming homosexuals far more than his predecessor.

As a result, some gay Catholics welcomed Francisco’s visit to Hungary, but shortly in the hope that he would send a message of encouragement.

“Pope Francis has embraced them very much. For LGBTQ people and those who may still have prejudices and reservations about other minorities, it opens their minds a bit and makes them more acceptable. I believe in it, “said Chaba Hegedas. A practical Catholic who is a member of the Hungarian LGBT community and planned to attend the Pope’s Mass.

___

Nicole Winfield reported from Rome.