By Deborah Castellano Lubov
“Faith is the most important thing in life, and therefore, serving the faith of others, passing on the faith, teaching the faith, and especially ministering at the liturgy, are the greatest things in life…”
In a wide-ranging interview with Vatican News, the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Cardinal Péter Erdő, Primate of Hungary, expressed this as he reflected on the conviction that inspired his own priestly vocation and looked forward to the imminent Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother and his nation’s forthcoming celebration of St Stephen of Hungary.
While the Church celebrates the Saint on August 16th, Hungarian celebrations instead are held on the 19th.
Pope Francis visited to the Eastern European country from Apr 28-30 2023, marking his 41st Apostolic Journey abroad. Moreover, the Holy Father had made a brief stop in the country’s capital of Budapest to celebrate Mass for the closure of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress on Sep 12 2021, on his way to Slovakia.
More than half of Hungarians are Christian, and after the Communist Era, the faith among the faithful offers a seed of hope in a Europe that is always more at risk of losing its Christian roots.
In this interview, Cardinal Erdő discusses Saint Stephen, and why he maintains such great devotion, as well as the Cardinal’s own upbringing, faith and vocation, including how he has entrusted himself to prayer and the Lord even at the most challenging and repressive moments of history.
“Certainly faith came first,” he recalled, while reassuring, “this was not experienced in a tragic way by my parents, but in a natural way, knowing that God is supreme.”
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Your Eminence, in a few days Hungary celebrates the Feast of St Stephen of Hungary. What are the main events scheduled? And why is this holiday so significant?
Saint Stephen was the country’s first Christian king. During his reign 1,000 years ago, the country was Christianised with methods that were not harsh, but rather of conviction, of organisation. St Stephen also signifies the unity of the Hungarian state. That is why not only believing Catholics, but everyone respects him and also this feast day, which is the national holiday. The programme, the main points: every year the day begins with a military act. New officers take the oath. Then there are programmes of politicians and in the afternoon, there are religious programmes, such as the Holy Mass in front of St Stephen’s Basilica, and then the great procession with his relic. The right hand of this first holy king is preserved, and with that relic, we make the great procession. After the procession in the late evening, there are always also fireworks and the day ends as a popular festival.
How would you explain to a foreigner who St Stephen is to Hungarians? And why is his worship so widespread in the Church?
For Hungarians in general, he is the king, who had Christian principles not only out of expediency — he became a Christian like his father, Prince Géza–, but also out of personal conviction. He did everything to reinforce the Christian culture and worldview. In Hungary, this also meant economic development and a new relationship with the peoples around us. Therefore, historians are convinced that our survival as a people depended on this great decision. St Stephen wanted the Hungarians to join the great family of the Christian peoples of Europe.
It was a great decision because the king asked for missionaries, especially from the West. However, during his lifetime, the Christian West and East were not yet separated. He had died in 1038, thus before the schism of the East. And for this, he is also venerated in the Orthodox Church as a saint and apostle, as a saint who converted his people.
The figure of St Stephen takes us back to the beginnings of Hungary’s history as a Christian country. In other countries of Europe this connection to their historical roots, marked by Christianity, is being lost. Sometimes these roots even seem to be challenged, removed or purposely disavowed. What do you think about this cultural trend?
For us, the encyclical Mit Brennender Sorge, which Pope Pius XI published before the Second World War in 1937, remains fundamental, in which it is made clear that nations as cultural communities with their own language, their own memory, their own structure, their own culture, represent a true value, they belong to the richness of creation, and are therefore dear to the Creator. In several places in the Bible we find that even at the last judgement, the Lord will judge the nations. Peoples too, not just individual persons. Thus, peoples have a certain role in God’s grand design. Yet nations do not represent the supreme value. Looking at nations in this way would be idolatry. Therefore, we always seek this balance indicated by papal teaching. And this teaching seems to be current, even in our day.
In this scenario, what is the value of celebrating the Christian faith in a public and solemn way, as in the case of a feast day like St Stephen’s?
It seems that public and private are not separable in human life, in the life of societies, because decisions, even private ones, can have repercussions for society and vice versa. And then the public space, the streets, the squares, never remain empty. That is, it is not possible for there to be no symbols that express some vision of the world. Even during communism, there were so many statues that expressed the communist world view. And I remember that in Albania, where they banned all the religions, Enver Hoxha, the communist dictator, had a pyramid built in the centre of Tirana for himself so the public space does not remain completely empty. And the Christian symbols, for example the Churches, indicate that many generations have recognised that everyday life is not the supreme horizon, but there is a higher horizon that gives meaning and value to the small things in our lives. Therefore, it is important to think about this reality every now and then, at least at the big festivals.
Young Hungarians today may not have experienced the same difficulties that previous generations, such as yours, had in living and witnessing to the faith in times when political power would have wanted to eradicate Christianity from the national identity. During that difficult time when you were young, what helped you not to lose your faith?
First of all, it was my parents, our family, because not only did we pray at home, talk about religious holidays, go to church together, but my dad also taught us catechesis. And then we learned that my dad, having been a jurist, could not practise his profession because he was considered too religious. And my mum, who was a teacher, could not teach because she was considered too religious.
Thus, we were seeing what is most important in life. Certainly faith came first. And so, this was not experienced in a tragic way by my parents, but in a natural way, knowing that God is supreme. It is natural, that religion is the most important thing in our life.
And this fact that you have now told me was that your parents, who were Catholics and did not hide in the plans of the ruling communist regime, were forbidden to practise their profession. Was this story an example for you? This example, how did it play a role for you when you accepted the vocation to the priesthood? Could you tell a little about how you discovered your vocation in all this?
Yes, certainly. Hence, if faith is the most important thing in life, then serving the faith of others, passing on the faith, teaching the faith, and especially ministering at the liturgy, are the greatest things in life, the most important things one can do, and most useful, also for the salvation of others. This is the main motivation that I felt even as a boy. And so, I gradually came to the decision to enter the seminary.
And Pope Francis wanted this year, this year before the Jubilee, to be a special year of prayer. Can you tell us how you are living this year? And something personal about your prayer life?
My prayer life began when I was in high school. I always started the day with the Hymn of Charity from St Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians and ended the day praying the Te Deum. Already prayer gave a framework to my day. I also tell you that my spiritual father recommended that I meditate a little on Holy Scripture, for no more than 10 minutes, always, every day, on a passage from the New Testament. That was also a great help to orient me in life.
In this Year of Prayer, there are personal programmes, common programmes, in the diocese for the Rosary, including every first Saturday at ten o’clock in the morning. And there is a prayer, a rosary in front of St Stephen’s Basilica, in the square, where people kneel and pray the Rosary, which is a great testimony before the world. And then, in the Church of Perpetual Adoration, there is adoration every day, from eight o’clock in the morning until six in the evening. In another church, in the Church of the Holy Angels, all day, even at night, there is perpetual adoration. And then every first Friday of the month, at six o’clock, in the Parish of Cristina, the Emmanuel Community organises an evening of prayer with Holy Mass and also with the possibility of confession. Every Thursday from 8.00 pm. until 5.00 am on Friday morning, in St Stephen’s Basilica there is also adoration. Then there is the possibility of confession at the Franciscans in Pest, every day, from six in the morning until 10 p.m. On First Thursdays, there is also prayer in the Church of Perpetual Adoration for priestly and religious vocations. And every first Saturday, there is a Rosary and Holy Mass for families and youth. I can continue like this. Now we are also trying to identify the churches where the indulgences provided by the Holy See can be obtained.
Your Eminence, returning for a second to St Stephen, we are almost at the feast of the Assumption and we know that St Stephen also had a great devotion to Our Lady. Do you have any wishes in view of this Solemnity and also considering your feast of St Stephen? Do you have any prayers or wishes for these days?
Yes, St Stephen dedicated his crown and his country to Our Lady. Hungary was the first country that, according to tradition, was consecrated to Our Lady and, accordingly, Our Lady is also venerated in Hungary as the patron saint of our people and our country. It is a joy to know that there are many other peoples who have also chosen the Virgin Mary as their patroness, because the same Mother can have several children.
