During Pope Francis' pilgrimage to Hungary, a sensational gathering took place between him and metropolitan Hilarion “sent” to Hungary after Russia's attack on Ukraine.
It is alternatively certain that although Hilarion fell into disfavor, as it was before 24 February 2022 on his tv shows Rossija 24 warned before the start of the war and cited an example of 1914 erstwhile Russia entered a war full of euphoria and ended in 1917 with a gigantic disaster – it inactive plays an crucial function in the politics of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Anyway, Hilarion, or Budapest, was not an accident. It is in the capital of Hungary that both Russia and the Orthodox Church have a comparative freedom of action, as demonstrated by the activity of Hilarion himself. In his speech on you tube Hilarion, sharing his reflections on the gathering with Francis, said that it had already been their 12th meeting, and that there was no talk of political issues, and that it only had a individual dimension. However, the Pope himself revealed to journalists erstwhile he returned to the Vatican that there was a secret peace mission in which the Holy See plays 1 of the roles. “You can imagine that during these meetings we did not talk about Red Riding Hood, but we discussed everything,” said the Pope about talks with Viktor Orban.
In this context, the gathering with Hilarion has a symbolic dimension, all the more so, despite the force from Kiev, So far, the Pope has not gone to visit Ukraine, wishing – rightly – to avoid unequivocally speaking on 1 side. Hilarion, sooner or later, will lead the Church in Russia. The cordiality with which Hilarion received Francis clearly shows on whose side his sympathy is. This, of course, did not bring satisfaction in Kiev, from which a Cabotine message was received, which included specified a message: “Volodymyr Zelenski refused to let specified talks.” The fact that the gathering of the Pope with the advanced hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church takes place in Budapest is another confirmation that Hungary has become the centre of Christian politics in Europe, and Poland, which boasted of its Catholicism and Pope John Paul II until recently, has moved to the function of Servant of the Ukrainian Nation and Servant of the Greek Catholic Church with Archbishop Światosław Szewczuk at the head, which for our hierarchs is more crucial than the Pope.
Jan Engelgard
photo profile of Viktor Orban
Think Poland, No. 19-20 (7-14.05.20123)
