SW News: After meeting the poor and the refugees in St Elizabeth Church in Budapest on Saturday, April 29, the Holy Father visited the nearby Greek Catholic parish church of the Protection of the Mother of God.

Hundreds of believers had gathered in the church and the head of the Catholic Church was welcomed by Metropolitan Fülöp Kocsis of Hajdudorog. He accompanied the Holy Father to the iconostasis which separates the nave from the altar. As the pope made his way inside the choir intoned Byzantine chants.
In his address, the Metropolitan, who is the head of the Greek Church, welcomed the Successor of St Peter and said that his visit shows the unity of this Eastern Church with Rome. Recalling the words of Pope St John Paul II, Archbishop Fulop Kocsis said “The Church of Christ breathes with two lungs—the Eastern and Western Churches.” He said while being unique in its liturgical traditions, the Greek Church is in full communion with Rome.

Archbishop Kocsis also spoke about the persecution endured by the Church during the Communist era when it was not recognized. “Since our birth, since our union, we have had to suffer a lot because of this dual membership,” he said. He said their martyrs were killed not just for their Christian faith but also for their unwavering fidelity to Rome. “Instead of bowing to the dictates of Communist violence, they remained faithful to the Catholic Church and for that, they died.

After his address, two children gifted the Holy Father a Greek prayer rope used by priests and monks to recite the Jesus Prayer. The pope graciously accepted it and wrapped it around his right hand.

Then followed a Byzantine hymn for peace sung by a fully vested deacon.
After the hymn, the Pope was vested with a Byzantine Epitrachelion (stole) and he was given a cross with which he imparted the Apostolic Blessing to the congregation. The Holy Father received gifts from the Greek parish and in return he gave a beautiful chalice to the Metropolitan.

The eparchy was established in 1912 and it was later extended all over Hungary in 1980. It was in 2015 that it became a Metropolitan See. Now, it is home to 149,000 believers spread across 56 parishes served by 96 priests. Five of them were ordained in 2022. The Church also has nine permanent deacons and 13 seminarians.