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Cardinal Péter Erdő, the Archbishop of Esztergom and Budapest, emphasized the significance of “helping love” in fostering unity among Christians and extending this love to all people. He spoke at the national opening of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, held on Sunday evening at St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest.
During the opening service of the annual week dedicated to praying for the unity of Christians, the Cardinal underscored the shared bond among Christians as disciples of Christ, all recognizing Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. He emphasized that as disciples, it is imperative to follow Christ’s teachings.
In his address, Cardinal Erdő delved into the central Gospel message, focusing on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. He emphasized that the essence of the parable conveys the message that, “for God’s sake, we must turn to one another with a helping love, and we cannot exclude anyone from this love.” The Cardinal stressed the importance of not limiting the scope of love and expressed joy in the charitable efforts of churches, organizations, and
Hungary as a whole in assisting those affected by hunger, war, natural disasters, or persecution.
Quoting St. Paul, Cardinal Erdő highlighted that the impact of charity extends further, as it inspires gratitude towards God in others through our mediation.
Reformed Church Bishop József Steinbach, President of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Hungary (MEÖT), delivered a sermon drawing attention to the Good Samaritan parable. He noted that the parable begins with a scribe’s question about gaining eternal life, emphasizing that our separation from God and mortality underlie all troubles, miseries, sins, conflicts, and wars. Bishop Steinbach urged believers to live rightly in the present world, acknowledging the foundational condition of our existence.
Cardinal Péter Erdő and Reformed Bishop József Steinbach in St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest. Photo: MTI / Kovács Tamás
The Bishop also emphasized that Jesus Christ, who shared the parable of the Good Samaritan, went beyond by becoming the Samaritan himself on the cross of Golgotha. He stressed that receiving eternal life comes from Christ, and as faithful followers, the task in today’s harsh world is to “dare to be merciful” and take the “merciful risk of Christian love.”
The service concluded with participants joining in prayer for persecuted Christians. Since 2018, the joint program of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and MEÖT designates the starting day as the Sunday of prayer for persecuted Christians.
Via MTI; Featured Image: MTI / Kovács Tamás
