This is not the first time that Pope Francis personally meets with Viktor Orban, but the current geopolitical situation suggests that it could be a key meeting.
The Hungarian prime minister met the head of the Catholic Church for the first time on August 28, 2016, when Pope Francis received a group of European Catholic leaders. In 2021, the Holy Father visited Budapest to personally celebrate the closing mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress. Prior to the ceremony, the Hungarian prime minister met with Pope Francis at the Museum of Fine Arts on. Then President of the Republic of Hungary Janos Ader and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen also attended the meeting.
On 21 April 2022, following the parliamentary elections in Hungary, Viktor Orban, as re-elected prime minister, visited the Holy Father to discuss the conflicts raging in the world, with a primary regard to bringing an end to the Ukraine-Russia war as soon as possible. The following year, in 2023, the Hungarian prime minister had another opportunity to meet the Bishop of Rome when Pope Francis paid a three-day apostolic visit to Hungary. The Italian media highlight that the head of the Catholic Church leader highly appreciated Hungary's birth and family policies during his visit to Budapest.
According to the Italian press, there is a privileged axis between Pope Francis and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, which is why their next meeting could be of strategic importance.
In the geopolitical situation currently fraught with tensions, and after Donald Trump taking office on January 20, there could be a glimmer of hope that a change of direction will occur in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and negotiations to reach a ceasefire can begin, the Italian newspapers write.
The privileged axis between the Vatican and Budapest is based on the fact that Pope Francis has always followed and recognized the Hungarian prime minister's peace efforts, with a special regard to his mediating role between Moscow and Kyiv.
Italian newspapers point out that Viktor Orban was able to do this because he was the one among the European leaders who maintained contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while at the same time firmly opposed any escalation of the conflict.
There is no doubt that Pope Francis and Viktor Orban are the two individuals who have taken significant steps towards ending the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Returning from his visit to Budapest, Pope Francis was the first to speak about a secret peace mission during an in-flight press briefing. Following this, on June 5-6, 2023, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, visited Kyiv as a special envoy of the Holy Father to assess the possibility of the conditions for reaching peace. Then on June 29, 2023, the Italian cardinal continued his peace mission in Moscow. The Holy See's diplomacy played a mediating role between the parties involved in the conflict in order to contribute to bringing the tragic situation to an end and to achieving a just peace. Cardinal Zuppi also met with US President Joe Biden at the White House on July 17, 2023 to discuss the possibility of peace.
Like the Vatican, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wanted to take concrete steps to assess the possibilities of ending the war between Ukraine and Russia. On July 2, 2024, one day after taking over the presidency of the EU Council, the Hungarian rime minister paid an unexpected visit to Kyiv. During the talks, he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to step up efforts for a ceasefire. Two days later, on July 5, Prime Minister Viktor Orban paid a visit to Moscow as part of his peace mission. Although both visits provoked strong reactions in EU circles, the Vatican appreciated the concrete efforts to bring about peace.
Cover photo: Pope Francis meets Viktor Orban (Photo: AFP)
