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Pope Francis greets journalists on board an Alitalia plane en route to Budapest
Photo: Gregorio Borgia / dpa
Pope Francis condemned anti-Semitism on his trip to Hungary and Slovakia.
This is still smoldering in Europe, said the head of the Catholic Church on Sunday in the Hungarian capital Budapest at a meeting with representatives of the Jewish community.
"It's a fuse that needs to be extinguished." The best way to neutralize it is to work together positively and promote fraternity.
Both Hebrew and Christian cultures need to know that all cultures interact, said a representative from the Jewish community.
In the past few decades, Jews and Christians have done a lot to tear down the walls that separated them.
The occasion for Francis' visit is the closing mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, which is taking place in Budapest.
Representatives of the Catholic Church have come together from all parts of the world.
It is rare for a Pope to celebrate the closing mass of a Eucharistic Congress.
It is already his 34th international trip.
The aim of these international meetings is to promote the worship of the Eucharist among the faithful.
Pope meets Orbán
During his visit, Pope Francis also met Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The approximately 40-minute meeting in the capital took place behind closed doors.
Orbán then had a photo published on Facebook.
The date was eagerly awaited because the Pope and the conservative head of government take opposing positions on the issue of migration.
Francis repeatedly calls for help for refugees.
Hungary, on the other hand, has an anti-migration policy.
According to the Vatican, the conversation was about the role of the Church in Hungary and environmental protection.
Francis had recently said in a radio interview that he did not know whether a meeting with Orban would even be possible.
Such encounters are actually common on trips abroad by the head of the Catholic Church.
On Sunday the Pope will travel to the Slovak capital Bratislava.
He'll be there until Wednesday.
kim / dpa