This Monday October 27, 2025, Pope Leo XIV received in audience at the Vatican Apostolic Palace the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, who later met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State to His Holiness, accompanied by Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.
According to the Holy See Bulletin, the meeting took place in an atmosphere of cordiality and mutual respect. During the encounter, the solid bilateral relations between the Holy See and Hungary were emphasized, as well as the appreciation for the Catholic Church’s commitment to social development and the well-being of the Hungarian people.
In particular, attention was drawn to the common focus on the fundamental role of the family, on education and the future of young people, and on the defense of the most vulnerable Christian communities in various regions of the world.
Likewise, during the conversation, current European issues were extensively addressed, with special attention to the situation of the conflict in Ukraine and recent events in the Middle East.
Orbán’s message after the audience
After the meeting, the Hungarian Prime Minister posted a message on his official X account, accompanied by a photograph of the moment he greeted the Pope.
“I asked His Holiness to support Hungary’s efforts against the war. Private audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV”
The message reflects the pacifist position of the Hungarian government regarding the war in Ukraine, a stance that Viktor Orbán has consistently defended in international forums, advocating for the cessation of hostilities and the opening of negotiations.
The audience with the Pope is therefore framed within a series of diplomatic efforts in which Hungary seeks to strengthen its role as a European mediator for peace, supported by its Christian identity and its foreign policy of balance between East and West.
The meeting also reaffirmed the harmony between the Vatican and Budapest in the defense of life, marriage, and the family, values that both consider pillars of Christian civilization and the future of Europe.