Pope urges Hungary to show charity to all as he visits refugees

Pope Francis in Budapest, Hungary (Darko Vojinovic/AP)

Pope Francis has thanked Hungarians for welcoming Ukrainian refugees and urged them to help anyone in need, as he begged for a culture of charity in a country where the prime minister has justified firm anti-immigration policies with fears that migration threatens Europe’s Christian culture.

On the second day of a visit to Hungary, Francis met refugees and poor people at St Elizabeth’s church, which was named after a Hungarian princess who renounced her wealth to dedicate herself to the poor as a follower of the pope’s namesake, St Francis of Assisi.