Budapest: On the eastern border of Hungary, Pope Francis met with Ukrainian refugees on Saturday and assured them that a different future is possible.

On the second day of his visit, which started on Friday when he pointedly warned of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe, Francis met with about 600 refugees, the poor, and the homeless in a visit to St. Elizabeth's church in Budapest.

Pope Francis thanked the Hungarian people for accepting Ukrainian refugees and pleaded with them to cultivate a culture of charity.
Francis was being serenaded by a singing group of Hungarian Roma wearing flower-patterned clothing. They were hovering around him as he sat in his wheelchair, and Francis appeared to enjoy the music.Francis, however, had heard something more sobering earlier.

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Oleg Yakovlev related how a year ago, following Russian bombings, he, his wife Lyudmila, and their five children were forced to leave Dnipro.

"We were welcomed here and we have found a new home, (but) many have suffered and still suffer because of the war," Yakovlev told the pope.

The youngest Yakovlev child, a boy of about four, was amused by the attention he was receiving as he sat in the front row of the church with his family. He made faces at reporters as his father talked about missiles, collapsing buildings, and a 1,500-kilometer journey to safety.

Millions of refugees have migrated to other nations since February 24, 2022, passing through Hungary and Central Europe. In Hungary, about 35,000 people have requested temporary protection status.

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Even if those in need are atheists, Francis claimed that showing compassion for those going through hardship and tragedy is an essential component of being a Christian.

After receiving the balm of love, he said, "even in the midst of pain and suffering, we find the courage needed to keep moving forward: We find the strength to believe that all is not lost, and that a different future is possible."
Later, Metropolitan (bishop) Hilarion, a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Budapest, met with the pope.

Last year, Hilarion was essentially fired from his position as number two at the ROC headquarters in Moscow. This move was interpreted as a sign of internal conflict within the Russian Patriarchate regarding the war.

The Eastern Orthodox communion split with Western Christianity in the Great Schism of 1054, and the Russian Orthodox Church is by far the largest of these churches.

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Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused division within the Orthodox community worldwide and strained ties between the Vatican and the ROC.

Kirill, the patriarch of the ROC, is close with Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia. Kirill fully supports the conflict as a defence against what he sees as the decadent West.

Last year, the EU attempted to add Kirill to its sanctions list, but member states were unable to come to a consensus because Hungary opposed his inclusion.
Francis stated that Kirill should not be "Putin's altar boy" last year, which caused a rift between the Vatican and the ROC.