Final farewell to an extraordinary man, Francis, Pope of Inner Peace

President Tamás Sulyok and members of the Hungarian state delegation, including Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén, paid their respects at the funeral of Pope Francis, the Head of the Catholic Church, in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Pope Francis died on 21 April at the age of 88. 

The delegation led by the Hungarian Head of State, along with several world leaders and monarchs, attended the funeral ceremony of the Supreme Pontiff in Rome. 

In a statement to the media following the ceremony, which lasted several hours, the President of Hungary recalled that with Pope Francis, the primacy of the personal relationship was always prominent, and that he exuded an extraordinary serenity, an extraordinary freedom. 

According to Tamás Sulyok, the death of the Holy Father, who was very close to Hungarians, is a great loss for Hungary. 
The President praised Pope Francis, a friend of Hungarians. ” He was a profoundly free man who, I believe, attained complete inner peace and freedom through living in truth — and it radiated from him,” the President of Hungary recalled, adding that Pope Francis made him realise that in interstate relations and among statesmen, personal connection its role to play. 

On why Pope Francis had a very special place in his heart for Hungarians, Tamás Sulyok responded that Pope Francis told him that he loved Hungarians. One personal reason was that the Supreme Pontiff  had Hungarian sisters working alongside him in Argentina.
I believe that he learnt much about Hungary through his order, through the Jesuit order.
- the Head of State opined. 

Pope Francis truly did, to a certain extent, find a home in Hungary, and I think that Hungarians will always remember and think of him with great affection, continuing to cherish this relationship in our souls - the Head of State, who was received by the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church at an audience a year ago, stressed. According to Tamás Sulyok, what we Hungarians, believers and non-believers alike, must carry forward from Pope Francis' life and work is his love of peace, no matter what. 

This was absolutely characteristic of Pope Francis, who, proclaiming the peace of Christ, clearly extended it to world politics, the President added.

This was a very important step and a very important conviction for Pope Francis. His freedom rooted in inner peace and the joyfulness with which he lived his life are profound examples for us," said Tamás Sulyok.