In his new autobiography, Pope Francis has spoken out in defence of Hungary and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary, and against EU pressure for conformity, Vaticannews.va reports. The self-told life story of His Holiness was just released on 19 March, with the title Life: My Story Through History.
In his book, Pope Francis mentions the tensions between Hungary and the European Union, writing:
‘[Brussels] seems to want to standardise everything, which should respect Hungarian uniqueness’.
This is most likely referring to the constant political pressure from Brussels towards Budapest, usually using withholding due finding as a tool, to change the Hungarian government and people’s stances on issues such as the LGBTQ lobby, migration, and the Russo-Ukrainian war.
However, in the same chapter, the Pontiff also writes that he appealed to PM Orbán about respecting other cultures and different people, ‘so that he understands that there is always so much need for unity’. This may be in reference to the issue of migration and accepting refugees from outside of Europe, where the Pope and the Hungarian Prime Minister have differed in the past.
Pope Francis has visited Hungary twice in quick succession in recent years. In September 2021, he attended the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress held in the capital city of Budapest, Hungary. In April 2023, His Holiness visited our country again, this time on an Apostolic Journey with no official event to attend. Both times, he met with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and then-President of the Republic Katalin Novák. He also held an open-air holy mass in Kossuth Square outside the Hungarian Parliament during his 2023 visit.
What Else Is in Pope Francis’ Autobiography?
The same article by Vatican News cites several passages originally shared by the Italian paper Corriere della Sera. According to these, the Pope writes about his family history, starting with his grandparents emigrating to Argentina, where they suffered under dictator Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
He also writes about his relationship with his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, who has since passed away. Pope Francis had the rare opportunity to another person who has served as the head of the Catholic Church, given that Benedict XVI’s resignation was the first papal renunciation since 1415 (!), with popes serving until their deaths since.
In his book, Pope Francis also takes a hard stance against abortion, calling the practice ‘inhumane’; and even going as far as describing it as ‘murder performed by hiring killers, hitmen’.
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