Pope urges Hungary to be more open to needy outsiders

Pope Francis greets people as he arrives in Heroes' Square in Budapest, Hungary, September 12, 2021. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

BUDAPEST (Reuters) -Pope Francis said on Sunday that Hungary could preserve its Christian roots while opening up to the needy, an apparent response to nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's stand that Muslim immigration could destroy its heritage.

Francis was in Hungary for an unusually short stay that underlined differences with the anti-immigrant Orban, his political opposite.