“Christian Foundations of Statehood Must be Preserved by all Hungarians”

The statue of Stephen I of Hungary in Sânzieni.

Hungarians must hold on to the Christian foundations of their statehood and unite with those communities that dare to speak out against the “destructive, destroying and violent madness” that is twisting Christian doctrine, Miklós Soltész stressed on Tuesday at the St Stephen’s Day celebrations (August 20) at Vârful Filtrului (Perkő) in Szeklerland, Romania.

The State Secretary for Relations with the Church and Ethnic Communities of Hungary pointed out to the pilgrims gathered that Stephen I of Hungary’s (975-1038) admonitions to Prince Imre, Saint Emeric of Hungary (1007-1031) often cite the welcome and care of guests and the exercise of patience, but the first three – the preservation of the Catholic faith, the honoring of the Church order and the respect due to the high priests – are often overlooked.

“It is important to admit, respect and care for strangers, as long as they do not endanger Christianity, faith, nation or country.

It is important to uphold the rule of law, as long as countries are not tied down by the law, as long as the moral foundations of the created world are not destroyed by the law, as long as everything is not imposed on us”,

the politician emphasized.

According to Miklós Soltész, today in Brussels, Christian doctrine is being twisted for ideological and economic reasons, and Christians’ patience and good faith are being used to impose their destructive ideology, triggering wars.

“When our King Saint Stephen, in his admonitions to Prince Imre, stressed the importance of preserving the Catholic faith, of respecting the Church and the dignity of the high priests, he knew that without these his nation and his country would be weakened and lost. That is why we must preserve the millenarian heritage, why we cannot accept that our sons and daughters be infected by ideologies that are alien to their lives, that they become confused,” he stressed.

Let us boldly proclaim our national creed, that we are proud of the fact that a thousand years ago, King Saint Stephen placed the Hungarian state on solid foundations and made our country part of Christian Europe,”

the State Secretary for Relations with the Church and Ethnic Communities of Hungary concluded.

In Sânzieni (Kézdiszentlélek, Romania), the traditional August 20 celebrations began with a short ceremony at the statue of Stephen I of Hungary, followed by a procession of pilgrims to Vârful Filtrului, the hill overlooking the settlement. The event continued in the afternoon with a folk dance and traditional festival, and in the evening with a concert by the band Zanzibar and a fireworks and bonfire display.

St Stephen’s Day has been a great celebration of the Catholics of Depresiunea Târgu Secuiesc (Felső-Háromszék) since the 17th and 18th centuries, attracting thousands of believers every year. The chapel in Vârful Filtrului was built around 1680 by Count Sámuel Kálnoky, the Chancellor of Transylvania, in honor of King St Stephen. On the side of the road leading to the west side of Vârful Filtrului, the wooden stations of the Stations of the Cross were replaced in 2013 by stone crosses bearing the names of the villages in Depresiunea Târgu Secuiesc inhabited by Catholics.

Via MTI; Featured image via MTI/Kátai Edit