“This is what I wish for you: that the cross be your bridge between the past and the future. Religious sentiment has been the lifeblood of this nation, so attached to its roots. Yet the cross, planted in the ground, not only invites us to be well-rooted, it also raises and extends its arms towards everyone,” Francis said during his address while presiding over the closing Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress.
“My wish is that you be like that: grounded and open, rooted and considerate,” he added.
Orban’s personal gift to the Pope, however, appeared to underline his nationalist and anti-immigrant stance: a copy of a 13th century letter from Hungarian King Bela IV to Pope Innocent IV. The letter asked the then-Pope for help in resisting the Mongol invasion of Hungary and Europe.
