The study trip to the Holy See was organised during the spring break by the Institute’s lecturers, András Jancsó and Kristóf Dallman. In addition to professional lectures, the rich programme also included the exploration of the cultural history of the Eternal City.

The participants of the study trip attended a workshop conference presenting the distinctive operation and international legal status of the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The plenary lecture was delivered by Andrea Gagliarducci, a Vatican expert, who outlined the main directions of the first year of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. At the Hungarian Academy in Rome, students had the opportunity to take part in a discussion with Dr Márk Aurél Érszegi, Director of the institution, through which they gained insight into the intersections of religious and cultural diplomacy.

The highlight of the programme was the ‘meeting’ with the Holy Father during the Wednesday General Audience, at the end of which the participants received the papal blessing. In the rooms of Saint Ignatius, Fr Ferenc Patsch SJ celebrated an intimate Holy Mass for the group.

During the institutional visits, the group was received at the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura by His Eminence Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Prefect, with whom the participants were able to discuss the legal system of the Holy See. During the papacy of Benedict XVI, Cardinal Mamberti served as the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, a post generally regarded as the Holy See’s ‘foreign minister’. Thus, in addition to his current responsibilities, the discussion also touched upon the mission of Holy See diplomacy.

At the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, His Excellency Bishop Luis Manuel Ali Herrera presented the work of the Commission. During the visit, there was also an opportunity for a professional exchange with Márta Benyusz, the Hungarian member of the Commission. During the visit to the Pontifical Swiss Guard, students were introduced to the Vatican’s strict security and protocol system.

The group was received in his office by His Excellency Péter Kveck, Hungary’s Ambassador to the Holy See, with whom they had the opportunity to discuss his diplomatic career, as well as the special status and background of Holy See diplomacy. The professional programme of the busy week concluded with a visit to the Rome office of EWTN, the world’s largest Catholic media network, where the participants learned about the distinctive mission of the ecclesiastical press.

The study trip also provided an opportunity for the students to make a pilgrimage to the most important papal basilicas. There, alongside spiritual reflection and art-historical knowledge, they were also able to encounter the reality of religious diplomacy: in the Lateran Basilica, the group met French President Emmanuel Macron, who had been received by Pope Leo that very day.