Pope Francis arrives in Budapest
By Vatican News staff writer
Sep 13 2021
Taking off shortly after 6am on Alitalia flight A320 from Rome’s Fiumicino airport, the papal plane landed in Budapest at 7.42am kicking off the first leg of his 34th apostolic visit abroad.
Pope Francis has entrusted this apostolic visit to the heart to the intercession of “so many heroic confessors of the Faith” who in Hungary and Slovakia witnessed to the Gospel “amid hostility and persecution.”
The Pope arrived at Budapest’s international airport spot on time to be welcomed by the Apostolic Nuncio to Hungary, Archbishop Michael Blume and by the Hungarian Ambassador to the Holy See, Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, who boarded the plane.
Awaiting him on the tarmac was the Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary and two children dressed in traditional costumes.
Before presiding at the closing Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, the Pope will be received in private audience by the nation’s President, János Áder, and by the Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán.
These meetings took place in Budapest’s Museum of Fine Arts, where he will later meet with the Hungarian Bishops.
Later in the afternoon, Pope Francis travels to Slovakia, which will bring the number of countries he has visited since the beginning of his Pontificate to 54.
Read also:
Pope to Hungary’s Bishops: ‘Be close to God, each other, priests and your flock’
Pope meets with Hungary’s president and prime minister
Pope to Hungary’s religious leaders: Be roots of unity, allow world to blossom
Pope at Angelus in Budapest: may the Cross link your past and future