December 6, 2010. Benedict XVI met Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the Vatican. During the meeting, Orbán stressed the importance of the Christian tradition in his country, as well the hand the Catholic Church played in Hungary's renewal. They also discussed the European Union's rotating presidency, which Hungary is slated to take over in 2011.  

The meeting, in which Benedict XVI and the Prime Minister spoke in English, lasted 20 minutes and was defined by the Vatican as “cordial”.

The pope gifted Viktor Orbán with a pen, while the Prime Minister gave him three Hungarian medals.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by a small government entourage, in addition to his wife and five children.

Hungary is a country with 10 million inhabitants, of which nearly 6 million are Catholics.

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