Pope Francis to make Apostolic Journey to Hungary in April

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

In a statement from Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni announced on Monday: "Accepting the invitation of the civil and ecclesial Authorities, His Holiness Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Journey to Hungary from 28 to 30 April 2023, visiting the city of Budapest."

The papal visit will mark Pope Francis' 41st Apostolic Journey abroad.

During his three-day journey, the Pope will visit with refugees and poor people, as well as with children of the Blessed László Batthyány-Strattmann Institute.

As is customary, the Holy Father will address authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps; young people; bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and pastoral workers; and representatives of the academic and cultural world.

More than half of Hungarians are Christian, and at least 37 percent of the population identify as Catholic.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, nearly 1 million Ukrainian nationals have travelled through Hungary as refugees, according to local sources.

Closeness to Hungary

The Holy Father had made a brief stop in the country's capital of Budapest to celebrate Mass for the closure of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress on 12 September 2021, on his way to Slovakia.

Pope Francis had also has shown his closeness to the Hungarian faithful during his visit to Romania, when celebrated Mass at the popular Hungarian pilgrimage site of Csíksomlyó (Șumuleu Ciuc) in the Romania's Transylvania region.

Transylvania had once been part of Hungary, but became Romanian territory in 1920. Ethnic Hungarians in Romania total more than one million people.

Here is the Pope's itinerary in the European nation:

APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO HUNGARY
28 - 30 APRIL 2023

Friday, 28 April 2023
ROME – BUDAPEST
08:10 Departure by airplane from Rome/Fiumicino International Airport to Budapest
10:00 Arrival at Budapest International Airport
10:00 OFFICIAL WELCOME
11:00 WELCOME CEREMONY in the square of “Sándor” Palace
11:30 COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC in “Sándor” Palace
11:55 MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER
12:20 MEETING WITH THE AUTHORITIES, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS in the former Carmelite Monastery Address of the Holy Father
17:00 MEETING WITH BISHOPS, PRIESTS, DEACONS, CONSECRATED PERSONS, SEMINARIANS AND PASTORAL WORKERS in St. Stephen's Co-Cathedral Address of the Holy Father

Saturday, 29 April 2023
BUDAPEST
08:45 PRIVATE VISIT TO THE CHILDREN OF THE “BLESSED LÁSZLÓ BATTHYÁNY-STRATTMANN” INSTITUTE
10:15 MEETING WITH POOR PEOPLE AND REFUGEES in St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church Address of the Holy Father
16:30 MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE in “Papp László Budapest Sportaréna” Address of the Holy Father
18:00 PRIVATE MEETING WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS in the Apostolic Nunciature

Sunday, 30 April 2023
BUDAPEST – ROME
09:30 HOLY MASS in Kossuth Lajos' Square Homily of the Holy Father
Regina Caeli
16:00 MEETING WITH THE ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL WORLD at the Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics of the Catholic University “Péter Pázmány” Address of the Holy Father
17:30 FAREWELL CEREMONY at Budapest International Airport
18:00 Departure by airplane from Budapest International Airport to Rome
19:55 Arrival at Rome/Fiumicino International Airport