President Tamás Sulyok Meets with Pope Francis in the Vatican
President Tamás Sulyok of Hungary recently met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. The meeting took place alongside the National Pilgrimage, where the Holy Father also hosted pilgrims for an audience. President Sulyok attended the audience with his family and discussed the future of communities with Pope Francis.
During their conversation, President Sulyok was struck by a message from Pope Francis’ previous visit to Budapest, citing the importance of gentleness and truth as emphasized by St. Stephen. President Sulyok found this message so meaningful that he asked the Pope if he could adopt it as a personal motto, which Pope Francis happily agreed to.
As a gesture of goodwill, President Sulyok presented the Pope with gifts including a beautifully ornate copy of the Chronicle Pictum, a traditional matyó embroidered tablecloth, and painted eggs in a decorative box. He also shared the legend of the matyó embroidery and brought the book “King Stephen’s Admonitions to Prince Emeric” to fulfill a request made by Pope Francis during his previous visit to Hungary.
President Sulyok participated in the audience with Pope Francis for the Hungarian National Pilgrimage and later attended the closing mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. The pilgrimage, organized by the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, brought together 1500 participants from Hungary, its border regions, and Hungarian communities in the West to show gratitude for Pope Francis’ visit to Budapest last year.
In addition to his meeting with Pope Francis, President Sulyok is scheduled to hold talks with Fra John Dunlap, the Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. This visit to the Vatican strengthens the ties between Hungary and the Catholic Church, highlighting the importance of faith and community in shaping the country’s future.
