Former Hungarian ambassador reflects on 10-year term at the Vatican Archduke of Austria Eduard Habsburg, who served as Hungary\u2019s ambassador to the Holy See since 2015, described his post at the Vatican as \u201cthe greatest 10 years of my life.\u201d Shortly before his farewell meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 21, Habsburg told EWTN News reporter Colm Flynn that after a decade on the job, he has \u201cseen it all\u201d and now wants to dedicate more time to his family, particularly his parents. \u201cI felt that 10 years is a good term. It\u2019s far longer than ambassadors usually have here,\u201d he said in the exclusive interview. \u201cI think I\u2019ve seen everything you can see here, including a conclave, visits by my prime minister, exciting moments,\u201d he added. \u201cIn a way, I\u2019m going to miss it but also family is important.\u201d The former ambassador, whose term at the Vatican ended on Nov. 30, said he will likely continue to represent Hungary at future international events organized by the Church and pro-family groups. \u201cI\u2019ll keep a foot in that world, so to speak, so I\u2019m not going to totally give it up,\u201d he said. Reflecting on his initial surprise at being asked to be Hungary\u2019s ambassador to the Holy See, Habsburg, who belongs to the prominent 850-year-old European Catholic dynasty, said he \u201chit the floor running\u201d when he arrived in Rome for his first post. On Pope Francis and his love for Hungary Describing his relationship with Pope Francis as \u201cincredibly positive,\u201d the former ambassador said the Argentine pontiff had a warm affection for the Central European nation and its people. \u201cI saw it every time he met a Hungarian,\u201d he said. \u201cHe would use Hungarian expressions. He would smile. He would be happy. He would take his time with them.\u201d Though Pope Francis had not visited Hungary until 2021 for the 52nd International Eucharistic Conference, he told Habsburg that he \u201clearned everything\u201d about Hungary through three religious sisters who fled their country in 1956, during the Soviet occupation, to a monastery in Buenos Aires, Argentina. \u201cThey have shaped Pope Francis\u2019 outlook on Hungary and that made my work very easy,\u201d he quipped. \u201cHe was incredibly generous.\u201d Pope Francis visited Hungary a second time in 2023 for his apostolic journey to the country\u2019s capital of Budapest from April 28\u201330. On Pope Benedict XVI and his humor During the 1990s, Pope Benedict XVI, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, read Habsburg\u2019s doctoral thesis on the topic of Thomas Aquinas and Vatican II and told him \u201che liked it\u201d and that he wanted him to either make a documentary or a thriller about Thomism. After first meeting with Pope Francis, the former ambassador said he later met with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in the Vatican Gardens. \u201cHe looked at me and said, \u2018So you\u2019re ambassador now?\u2019\u201d Habsburg recalled. \u201cAnd then he said, \u2018You know you still owe me a documentary or a thriller about Thomism.\u201d \u201cThat was the first thing he said. I was so blown away,\u201d he said. \u201cI still haven\u2019t written it.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s the one thing many people don\u2019t realize about Pope Benedict XVI was the sense of humor that he had that we never got to see publicly,\u201d he said. Habsburg earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Eichst\u00e4tt-Ingolstadt in 1999. On Pope Leo XIV The archduke told EWTN News he had briefly met Pope Leo XIV four times prior to his farewell visit to the pontiff on Nov. 21. \u201cI\u2019m very impressed by him. I feel [he is] a very balanced and just man who is trying to do good,\u201d he said of the first U.S.-born pope. Noting Pope Leo\u2019s fluency in many languages, including English, Italian, Spanish, and Latin, Habsburg commented that he believes the universal Church\u2019s new leader \u201chas several cultures in his heart and in his mind.\u201d \u201cAnd yes, we will see the things that he\u2019ll do. We pray for him every day,\u201d he said. Watch the full interview with Eduard Habsburg on the EWTN News YouTube channel. This article was originally published by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Kristina Millare Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. 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