A decade ago, as Europe faced an influx of over a million refugees and economic migrants, Pope Francis responded with compassion, notably washing the feet of twelve asylum seekers at an Italian reception center as a powerful gesture of solidarity.
In contrast, Cardinal Peter Erdo, the Hungarian archbishop regarded as a potential successor to Pope Francis, initially took a more cautious stance. He cited legal restrictions to justify closing church doors in Hungary to migrants, warning that offering refuge could implicate the church in human smuggling.
Following a private meeting with Pope Francis, Cardinal Erdo revised his position. However, he consistently distanced himself from the hardline rhetoric on migration espoused by Hungary’s populist Prime Minister, Viktor Orban.
This episode alienated liberal factions but resonated with conservatives concerned about what they perceive as the pope’s excessive focus on emotional gestures at the expense of church doctrine. It helped establish Cardinal Erdo, the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, as a leading figure for those within the Catholic Church advocating a return to traditional rules and teachings.
Multilingual and an authority on canon law, Cardinal Erdo has dedicated much of his career to scholarly work on the church’s legal framework. Except for a brief two-year period serving as a parish priest after his 1975 ordination, he has limited experience addressing the daily concerns of ordinary church members.
This background could pose challenges for him as the church seeks to counteract the continuing rise of secularism throughout Europe.
