As Pope Francis entered St. Peter's Square in the popemobile for his General Audience, there was no shortage of the blessing of babies.
In his catechesis, the Pope reflected on his recent trip to Hungary. He began by recognizing the great Christian roots of the Hungarian people who have historically faced religious persecution, specifically under communist oppression.
POPE FRANCIS
But while attempts were made to cut down the tree of faith, the roots remained intact: a hidden Church remained, but strongly alive with the power of the Gospel.
Pope Francis praised Hungary for welcoming over two million Ukrainian refugees after Russia's invasion. He also applauded the work of the Hungarian Church for connecting people of all ages and faiths.
With today's culture of consumerism and selfishness, the Pope warned against misaligned priorities.
POPE FRANCIS
It is a problem for the whole of Europe, where dedicating oneself to others, feeling community, the beauty of dreaming together and creating large families are in crisis. The whole of Europe is in crisis. So let us reflect on the importance of guarding the roots, because only by going deep will the branches grow upward and produce fruit.
At the end of the audience, the Pope greeted Metropolitan Antonij of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Foreign Minister of Patriarchate Kirill.
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