Pope Francis has used his trip to Hungary to plead for unity within the Church, more support for priests and called for a greater commitment to evangelisation.
He said: "Commitment to entering into dialogue with our current situation demands that the Christian community be present as a witness to the Gospel, capable of responding to questions and challenges without fear or rigidity.
"This is not easy in today’s world; it demands great effort.
"Here I think in particular of the excessive workload of our priests. The demands of parish and pastoral life are numerous, yet vocations are declining and fewer priests are available. Many priests are elderly and show signs of fatigue. This situation is common in many parts of Europe, and everyone – pastors and laity alike – should feel responsible for addressing it.
"First, by prayer, since the solutions will come from the Lord and not from the world, from the tabernacle and not from the computer. Then, by renewed fervour for promoting vocations and finding ways to attract and excite young people about a life of following Jesus, also in special consecration.
"More generally, we need an ecclesial reflection – a synodal reflection, involving everyone – on how to update pastoral life without being satisfied with merely repeating formulas from the past and without being afraid to reconfigure local parishes, making evangelization a priority and encouraging active cooperation between priests, catechists, pastoral workers, and teachers.
"f we grow distant from one another, or divided, if we become hardened in our ways of thinking and our different groups, then we will not bear fruit … May we overcome our human divisions and work together in the vineyard of the Lord!
"May we immerse ourselves in the spirit of the Gospel, grounded in prayer, especially in adoration and listening to the word of God, and cultivating ongoing formation, fraternity, closeness, and concern for others. A great treasure has been placed in our hands; let us not squander it by chasing after things that are secondary to the Gospel!"