Pope warns against indifference in Orban's Hungary

Around 600 refugees — mostly from Ukraine — and poor people gathered at St. Elizabeth's Church in Budapest to listen to the pope. About a thousand more gathered outside.

After hearing accounts of their lives, including that of Oleg Yakovlev, a father-of-five who fled Ukraine, the pope thanked Hungary "for having welcomed -— not only with generosity but also with enthusiasm —- so many refugees from Ukraine".

Orban's government — in a departure from its usual anti-refugee position — has welcomed those fleeing the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

But activists say there is barely a support system in place. Orban's insistence on maintaining ties with Moscow has also alienated Ukrainians.

The pope stressed the need to show "compassion toward all".

He urged people to "help to uproot the evils of indifference and selfishness from society, from our cities and the places where we live, and to rekindle hope for a new, more just and fraternal world."

On Friday, the 86-year-old Argentine stressed "the need for openness towards others", warning against "withdrawing into oneself" in a speech to Orban and other government officials.

A Ukrainian woman outside the church, who only gave her name as Elena, on Saturday told AFP that she hoped to see the pope "who is a strong advocate of peace".

"We have no problems here, but obviously when you are waiting to go back, you don't immerse yourself too deeply," the 43-year-old dancer from north of Kyiv said.

Since Russia attacked its neighbour more than a year ago, more than two million Ukrainians have crossed into Hungary, but just 35,000 have applied for the EU's temporary protection status in the country.

That's far fewer than in other countries just west of Ukraine.

Within the EU, Orban is an exception in refusing to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin by name over the attack of Ukraine.

He is also refusing to send military aid to Ukraine and has blasted EU sanctions against Russia.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) rights group says Ukrainians face a "demolished" refugee support system.

Since 2020, after the EU forced Budapest to close so-called border transit zones that Brussels called "detention camps", Budapest only accepts asylum seekers' applications at Hungarian embassies abroad.

This has slowed the number of asylum seekers to a trickle.

On Sunday, the pope will preside over an open-air mass at 9.30am in Budapest that thousands of worshippers are expected to attend as the crowning event of his three days in Hungary.

John Paul II was the first pope to visit Hungary, making trips in 1991 and 1996.