Recognition from the Vatican: "Hungary Has Become the Center for Building Peace”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited the Vatican on Monday morning. The Prime Minister arrived in Vatican City with his family and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen. After Pope Leo XIV's private audience, the Hungarian Prime Minister also held talks with Vatican State Secretaries. During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed the excellent relations between the Holy See and Hungary, and their cooperation in promoting peace. Viktor Orban’s peace mission thus continued.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Pope Leo XIV (Photo: AFP)

Viktor Orban arrived early in the morning at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, where he attended an Italian-language mass with his wife, children, their families, and grandchildren, along with Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen. The Prime Minister and his family were accompanied by Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, Hungary’s ambassador to the Holy See. The mass was concelebrated by Father Andras Toro, rector of the Pontifical Hungarian Institute in Rome, and Father Laszlo Vertesaljai, director of the Hungarian section of Vatican Radio.

Pope Leo XIV meets Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Vatican (Photo: AFP)

The Prime Minister also shared news of the visit on his Facebook page.

The Vatican and Hungary on the Side of Peace

The private audience between Viktor Orban and the Holy Father took place in the Apostolic Palace and began at 9 a.m. Following the meeting, the Holy See issued a statement announcing that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV had received the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, in audience. Afterwards, Orban met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

According to the statement, the talks at the Secretariat of State highlighted the strong bilateral relations between the Vatican and Hungary. The cordial meeting addressed appreciation for the Catholic Church’s commitment to promoting social development and the well-being of the Hungarian community, with particular emphasis on the role of the family, education, and the future of young people.

The importance of protecting the most vulnerable Christian communities was also emphasized. The talks covered a wide range of European issues, paying particular attention to the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, the Vatican statement said.

Andrea Gagliarducci, a Vatican expert, spoke to Magyar Nemzet about the meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Pope Leo XIV.

He said that Viktor Orban’s visit to the Vatican was extremely significant, as it comes at a historic moment when Hungary has become a center for peacebuilding between Ukraine and Russia.

Many factors link Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Pope Leo XIV, with both stressing that humanity must never grow accustomed to war. Earlier, the Holy See also offered its neutral territory and institutions as a venue to start peace negotiations. In the past, there have been many examples of cooperation between Hungary and the Vatican aimed at facilitating peace agreements.

The expert emphasized that

Viktor Orban not only brought with him a comprehensive peace plan but likely also presented the ongoing efforts of the Hungary Helps program, which provides assistance to persecuted Christians in places such as Lebanon. This is particularly important for the Vatican, as Pope Leo XIV’s first foreign visits will include Lebanon and Turkey.

Speaking about Vatican diplomacy, Andrea Gagliarducci noted that since the outbreak of the conflict, the Holy See has been seeking dialogue between the parties that could lead to a just peace. He explained that while the Vatican can establish contact between the sides, it cannot act as a mediator without both parties’ cooperation. At present, that possibility does not exist, as the parties have chosen other mediators. Nevertheless, the Holy See remains ready to support and assist peace efforts in every way possible. Currently, the Vatican’s involvement is primarily humanitarian, for example, helping facilitate the return of Ukrainian children who were taken from their homeland.

Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Pope Leo XIV (Photo: AFP)