The first occasion, the 34th congress held in 1938, ended with a holy mass that attracted half a million believers to Heroes’ Squares in Budapest.

The Hungarian delegation to the Cebu congress was led by Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom- Budapest. Erdő told public television news channel M1 by telephone on Sunday that Budapest’s hosting the congress was of great significance for the Hungarian Catholic Church.

He said that the Budapest congress would be “an introduction before the world, and not only to the global church but to the civil world, too”.

Miklós Soltész, state secretary for ties with church, minority and civil society, told M1 that Hungary’s task would be to accommodate as many people from as many countries “with as much love as possible”.

Ádám Mirkóczki, the spokesman for radical nationalist party Jobbik, said in a statement that the news of Budapest hosting the congress brought great joy.

He expressed hope that the congress would also bring a visit to Hungary by the Pope.

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Photo: MTI