SW News: The Holy Father Pope Francis departed from Budapest on Sunday, April 30, after concluding his three-day visit to Hungary. The pontiff was given a befitting farewell at the Ferenc Liszt International Airport in the capital in the evening.
A government delegation led by President Katalin Novak was present on the tarmac to see off the Holy Father. Also present with the head of state were the Apostolic Nuncio to Hungary Archbishop Michael Wallace Banach, Primate of Hungary Cardinal Peter Erdo Esztergom-Budapest, the head of the Greek Catholic Church Metropolitan Fulop Kocsis and several prelates from across the Central European nation.
Pope Francis exchanged pleasantries with those who were assembled before boarding the ITA Airways with the aid of a hydraulic crane. The flight is scheduled to land in Rome at 8 pm local time.
Earlier on Sunday, the pope presided over Holy Mass at the Kossuth Lajos Square on the shore of the Danube in the capital. During his homily, the pontiff stressed on Jesus the Good Shepherd who calls everyone by name to become His witness. He also reiterated the need to be more inclusive and understanding. Later, he undertook a visit to the Pazmany Peter Catholic University in Budapest where he had a meeting with people from the academic and cultural spheres. It was the last public event of the Holy Father in the Hungarian capital.
During his three-day visit, the pontiff dwelt on the themes of fraternity, openness, inclusivity and faith and hope in Jesus Christ so that Hungary becomes a shining example before other countries in Europe. His visit saw him meeting political leaders, members of civil society and also the poor and refugees. The Holy Father also had an exciting encounter with thousands of young Hungarians in the Sportarena indoor stadium where he exhorted them to be open to the Gospel and to dream big.
Pope Francis also spent time with bishops, priests, religious, deacons, seminarians and pastoral workers encouraging them to be more open and kind to the people of God. The pope also visited a home for the physically challenged and visually challenged children run by the Church to express his Petrine solidarity with them. By visiting the Hungarian Greek Catholic parish in Budapest, the Holy Father demonstrated the strong bonds of unity between Oriental Churches and Rome.