Pope Francis during a visit to Hungary met with Ukrainian refugees at the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in the center of Budapest, CNN reports.

The meeting was attended by about 600 people inside the church, another thousand gathered in the square.

During the address, the Pope called for the importance of mercy and heard the testimonies of refugees.

“Memories of love restore hope and inspire people to embark on a new path in life.. Even in spite of pain and suffering, having received the balm of love, we gain the courage necessary to keep moving forward: we find the strength to believe that all is not lost and that another future is possible,” Francis said in his address..

Pope Francis arrived in Hungary on Friday for a three-day papal visit and met with President Katalin Nowak, Prime Minister Viktor Orban and clergy.

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In a speech during his first public address, the Pope urged Hungarians to accept migrants and refugees. Quoting St. Stephen, he said: “I urge you to show favor not only to relatives and friends, or to the powerful and rich, or to your neighbors and compatriots, but also to foreigners and all who come to you”.

On the eve of this visit, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal met with the Pope in the Vatican.