Pope Francis warned of the danger of rising nationalism in Europe and, speaking to the Hungarian government of Viktor Orbán, said that accepting migrants along with the rest of the European continent would be a sign of Christianity, addressing the Hungarian leadership at the presidential palace in Budapest.

On the first day of his visit to Hungary, the Pope called for the rejection of self-referential forms of populism and strict nationalist interests, and called for the return of the “European spirit” envisioned by the founders of modern post-war Europe, stating that countries “should look beyond their national borders.”

In his address to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the pope warned against a tendency to withdraw and insisted on “the need to open up to others.”

The spirit of the Hungarian constitution, which calls for respect for minorities, is “truly evangelical, rejecting a certain trend that sometimes uses tradition and even faith as an excuse for introversion,” he said.

In office since 2010, Hungary’s prime minister touts his commitment to religion and his desire to defend “Christian culture” to justify his immigrant exclusion policy.

An ardent defender of the rights of refugees, the Pope, for his part, never ceases to call for a generous reception and a fair distribution of refugees in the European Union.

“This is a question, a question of admission (foreigners), which in our time causes a lot of discussion and is certainly difficult. We urgently need, like Europe, to work on safe and legal roads, on common mechanisms in the face of a historical problem that cannot be solved by refusal,” he said.

At the same time, the Pope today called for an end to the war, asking for “constructive efforts for peace.”

Source: APE-MPE, AFP, Reuters.