Pope Francis to meet refugees from Ukraine in Hungary
Pope Francis met with refugees from Ukraine on the second day of his visit to Hungary. The meeting took place at a church in Budapest with the head of the Catholic Church and about 600 people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
– Even in times of pain and suffering, once we receive the blessing of love, we find the courage to move forward. We find the strength to believe that all is not lost and that a different future is possible, the Pope stressed, as he did on Friday, the need to show compassion to those suffering from “poverty and sadness”.
Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, approx. Refugees from Ukraine sought refuge in Hungary. Relations between the two countries remain tense, mainly due to Budapest’s criticism of the treatment of the Hungarian minority in Zaporizhia and the pro-Russian approach of Viktor Orbán’s government.
During his conversation with the refugees, Francis heard the story of one of those who took refuge in Hungary before the war. Oleg Yakov said that he and his wife Lyudmila had to leave their home on the Dnieper with their five children and make a long journey to Hungary.
“We were welcomed here and found a new home, but many of my comrades suffered and continue to suffer because of the war,” Yakovlev said.