Cardinal Mario Grech, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops visited Hungary. He is the coordinator, on behalf of the Holy Father, of the synodal process, which began in 2021. Last Sunday, Pope Francis announced that – given the importance of the topic – the closing phase of the synod will be held in two parts, in October 2023 and 2024, in the framework of the Synod of Bishops in Rome.
Mario Grech cardinalAndrás Veres, president of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference emphasized in his welcome speech that 2021 was a significant year for the Hungarian Catholic Church, as the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress took place in Budapest, preceded by a four-year preparation process. Less than a month after the Congress, the 16th Ordinary Synod of Bishops also began, focusing on the topic of synodality itself in the framework of the program “walking together, thinking together”, a synodal Church: communion – participation – mission.
Mario Grech cardinal in HungaryAfterwards, Cardinal Grech spoke about the synodal process and the experiences that have emerged. At the meeting, he held a fraternal discussion with members of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
During his visit to Hungary, Cardinal Grech will give a lecture at the Ecumenical Conference in Pannonhalma on 21 October, Friday, then attend the Greek Catholic Metropolitan General Assembly in Máriapócs at the weekend, and next Monday and Tuesday he will also deliver a presentation on the meeting of the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of Central and Eastern Europe in Budapest.