Pope heads to Orban's Hungary at start of 4-day Europe trip

Pope Francis is making a quick trip to Hungary in his first big international outing since undergoing intestinal surgery in July

BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Pope Francis is making a quick trip to Hungary in his first big international outing since undergoing intestinal surgery in July, celebrating a Mass and meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose right-wing, anti-immigrant policies clash with Francis’ call for countries to welcome refugees. Francis is opening a four-day trip to Slovakia with a seven-hour stop Sunday in the Hungarian capital. He is passing through Budapest to celebrate the closing Mass of an international conference on the Eucharist, though he will also meet with Hungarian religious figures as well as Hungary’s president and prime minister. Organizers expect as many as 75,000 people at the Mass in Heroes' Square, which is going ahead with few coronavirus restrictions even as Hungary, like the rest of Europe, is battling infections fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. Despite pleas from the Hungarian Chamber of Doctors, congress organizers decided not to require COVID-19 vaccinations, tests, masks or social distancing for attendance. Organizers, however, said they had ordered 30,000 masks to distribute as well as hand sanitizer, and urged all attending to be prudent.