Passaic pastor experiences the Holy Father up close during his Hungary visit

Pope Francis scored a “great success” with his April 28–30 visit to Hungary — a politically charged and action-packed trip to the Central European nation.

So reported Father Laszlo Balogh, a Hungarian-born priest of the Paterson Diocese, who returned to his homeland to see — and hear — Pope Francis for the first time live during his three-day trip. The Holy Father, he said, showed great strength speaking out against controversial issues such as abortion and gender ideology and rising above politics in a call for an end to the war in Ukraine — a thorny topic for the European Union (EU). All the while, the pope energized and connected with Catholics and non-believers alike in Hungary in a “meeting of hearts,” said Father Balogh, pastor of St. Stephen Magyar Parish in Passaic.

On this trip, Father Balogh was blessed to be in the presence of Pope Francis in St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest, the nation’s capital, at a meeting for bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians, and pastoral workers. The pontiff reminded attendees of their “vocation to bring people the hope of the Gospel, especially at Easter time.” The priest also concelebrated the closing Mass with hundreds of other priests in Kossuth Lajos’ Square in Budapest with 10,000 worshippers.

“Pope Francis was very touched by the Hungarian people as we were touched by him,” said Father Balogh, noting that the Holy Father connected with young people. At one point, the pope rolled down the window of his vehicle to greet a group of students on a city street. His warmth and humor also helped him connect with the many groups he met — both religious and civic, including Ukrainian refugees, he said. “Everyone was impressed with the pope. I hope it leads to a religious renewal in Hungary and the world.”

Father Balogh was ordained a priest in 1997 in Hungary, where he was born. In 2018, he came to the United States to serve St. Stephen, founded in 1903 to serve immigrants from Hungary. Each of its pastors has come from Hungary. The priest saw St. Pope John Paul II in 1991 and 1996, both in Hungary. Father Balogh stayed with family in Budapest during the trip.

This was Pope Francis’ second trip to Hungry, a mostly Catholic nation. Pope Francis first visited in 2021 to celebrate the conclusion of the International Eucharistic Congress.

In a nuanced address before Hungarian President Katalin Novak and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the Holy Father navigated a difficult political landscape called for an end to the war in Ukraine and for Europe to come together for peace. The two Hungarian leaders have upset some in the EU for their tepid support of Ukraine.

“We seem to be witnessing the sorry sunset of that choral dream of peace, as the solists of war now take over,” Pope Francis said in an Associated Press report. “At this historical juncture, Europe is crucial. … It is called to take up its proper role, which is to unite those far apart, to welcome those other peoples and refuse to consider anyone an eternal enemy.”

During the visit, Pope Francis rose above the politics of the EU, Father Balogh told The Beacon.

“At the closing Mass, Pope Francis spoke about peace and about more cradles [for babies], not caskets, and about praying for the people of Ukraine and Russia,” Father Balogh said.