Churches Seen as Key to Addressing Europe’s Moral Crisis, Says Hungarian Official

BUDAPEST: Churches have a vital role in helping Europe overcome its moral crisis, alongside the ongoing economic challenges, according to Miklós Soltész, the State Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for church and ethnic relations. Soltész, who is also the vice president of the KDNP, highlighted the potential for religious institutions to aid decision-makers during a press conference in Budapest on Friday.

According to KDNP, Soltész’s remarks were made at a conference titled “Shared Responsibility: Cooperation between States and Religious Communities,” held as part of the Hungarian EU presidency program at the Museum of Ethnography on October 18, 2024. Accompanying him at the event were György Hölvényi, a European Parliament member of the KDNP and rapporteur responsible for education of the EP development committee, and Azbej Tristan, the state secretary responsible for programs to help persecuted Christians at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Soltész posed critical questions abo
ut whether European leaders recognize and can respond to the continent’s threats, including “war hysteria,” ideologies against the natural world, and flawed migration policies. He criticized the EU leadership for financial penalties against Hungary and for hindering Bulgaria and Romania’s accession to the Schengen area, actions he referred to as a “sin” against the European leadership.

Azbej Tristan emphasized that Hungary’s collaboration with churches extends beyond national borders, significantly influencing foreign policy and international aid. He referenced the Hungary Helps program, launched in 2016 to support persecuted Christians, which has aided 2 million individuals through 350 grants and donations across more than 60 countries.

Tristan outlined four justifications for the program: Hungary’s historical experience with church persecution, a commitment to “universal humanity,” the strategic interest in maintaining peace in people’s homelands to prevent migration towards Europe, and the necessity of r
epresenting the cause of persecuted Christians where others do not.

György Hölvényi, meanwhile, criticized the European Union’s indifference towards church communities, noting the lack of legal frameworks for cooperation. He pointed out that this indifference has severe implications, including the perception among some Muslim communities that Christianity is not valued by the Western world, and a failure of European leaders to see the essential societal role played by churches.