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The faction of the Mayor of Budapest has submitted a proposal to the General Assembly of Budapest to illuminate a Roman Catholic church with rainbow colors.
The proposal for a resolution titled “Proposal for a decision on the illumination of the Church of Our Lady of Sarlós in Óbuda-Újlak,” will be discussed by the Assembly on Wednesday, and was proposed by Párbeszéd (Dialogue – The Greens’ Party) politician, Richárd Barabás. In his explanatory memorandum, Barabás writes: “A city whose resources are distributed unfairly and where one community is favored over another is not in line with Christian principles. Therefore, the cost of lighting a church should be a sign of love and acceptance for the whole community of the city.”
The politician is presumably using this action as a provocation, in revenge for the recent restrictions on the Budapest Pride parade that were adopted in view of child protection concerns,
Mandiner writes.
Lőrinc Nacsa, KDNP MP and State Secretary for National Policy of the Prime Minister’s Office, reacting to the proposal, said that “for us, the physical, spiritual and intellectual development of children is the most important thing, not Pride and not gender propaganda.”
“They are violent and extremist, after the smoke bomb in parliament they would now paint this church rainbow-colored,” he added. “Nothing is sacred to them,” he said, “they are just trying to fulfill gender propaganda and Brussels’ demands.” “(Budapest Mayor) Gergely Karácsony’s faction has submitted an unacceptable proposal to the General Assembly, this is a provocation that must be rejected,” he said.
The original proposal to have the church illuminated with decorative lighting was submitted by Dániel Szécsényi of Fidesz. In a Facebook post reacting to the attempt to amend his proposal, he wrote: “I submitted the proposal for the implementation of the decorative lighting of the Church of Our Lady of Sarlós in Kolosy Square to the Wednesday’s General Assembly.
The money for this is being raised by the parishioners, therefore it would not cost the Capital any money.”
He added that as the church celebrates the 200th anniversary of its consecration this year, the implementation of the decorative lighting would be a fitting commemoration.
“We would think that in Christianity, in faith, we have common values that are not under undeserved political attack. Wrong. Richard Barabás has proposed a rainbow-colored illumination, obviously provocative. He provokes the faithful, he provokes the church, and he provokes everyone who is proud of their Christian faith in a Christian country,” he wrote.
Dávid Vitézy, the mayor’s challenger from last year, also described the initiative as a provocation, calling it “disappointing.” The faction leader of the liberal Podmaniczky Movement wrote that while he condemned the parliamentary decision to restrict the freedom of assembly and considered it contrary to basic democratic values, “is that really the right answer? Illuminating a Roman Catholic church built 269 years ago in the colors of a rainbow? Is it really the church-going people of Budapest who should be the target of the city government’s anger over Pride? Is this going forward? Will this make Budapest a better place in light of the government’s provocation?” he asked.
He added:
Because this is really nothing but provocation. This proposal does nothing to help the situation of sexual minorities or the acceptance of their rights to freedom.”
Vitézy also called on the mayor to withdraw the proposal and “not to turn the Assembly into a total battleground of party politics.”
Via Mandiner, MTI, Featured image: Pexels