Pope Francis warns of rising nationalism in Europe as he begins Hungary trip

The pontiff plans to meet with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees in Hungary during his three-day visit

Pope Francis arrives at St Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest (Reuters)

Pope Francis has warned of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe, and told the Hungarian government that accepting migrants, as the rest of the continent does, would be a true sign of Christianity.

At the start of a three-day trip to Hungary, the pontiff made a hard-hitting speech to government leaders including the prime minister, Viktor Orban, who has had a series of run-ins with the European Union. Francis urged a rejection of “self-referential forms of populism” and strictly nationalist interests.

The Pope also called for a return to the “European soul” envisioned by those who had laid the groundwork for modern Europe after the Second World War, saying nations had to “look beyond national boundaries”.