Pope receives Hungarian, Honduran presidents

September 20, 2013 - Pope Francis on Friday received in the Vatican two heads of state - president Janos Ader of Hungary and president Porfirio Lobo Sosa of Honduras, both of whom later met Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti. The Pope spent some 30 minutes in lively talk with the Hungarian head of state, who gifted him among other things a bottle of holy water from Hungary’s Franciscan sanctuary. In return, the Pope gifted Ader a medal and blessed a cross that the president’s daughter was wearing. The talks between the two sides touched upon the international situation, especially the continuing effects of the international economic crisis on Europe, and the need to deal with its ethical and social aspects. In this regard, they acknowledged the Hungarian government’s commitment to life and family. Hungary and the Holy See also spoke about the need to safeguard creation, the commitment to peace and religious freedom, and drew attention to the Syrian situation and the problems of Christians in the Middle East, hoping that dialogue and negotiations be able to end the conflict quickly.
Later, Pope Francis spent some 15 minutes with the Honduran president who visited him with a team of 6 persons including his wife and two sons. Sosa gifted the Pope a bronze statue of the Our Lady of Suyapa, the patroness of Honduras, which is put up in the Vatican garden. The Pope reciprocated with some medals and a copy of the document of Aparecida saying, “this is important for a politician.” “I don’t say you must read it entirely, but at least the index,” the Pope added. During the talks the two sides appreciated the contribution of the Catholic Church in education and health but especially in charity and in fighting poverty and organized crime. They also talked about ethical issues such as human life and family, and the need to work for reconciliation and the common good in Honduras.