Religious Leaders Warn of Europe’s Path Without Faith-Based Guidance

BUDAPEST: European leaders risk straying from community-focused governance by prioritizing economic interests over religious guidance, according to Miklós Soltész, State Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for church and ethnic relations, and vice president of the KDNP. Speaking in Budapest on Friday, Soltész criticized the European Union’s approach to migration, labeling it as a “selfish migration policy” intended to address labor shortages rather than assisting countries in crisis.

According to KDNP, Soltész highlighted the adverse effects of current migration strategies, including the importation of religious antagonism, increased religious fanaticism, and terrorism. He further noted the economic and spatial fragmentation within the EU, pointing to financial penalties imposed on dissenting nations like Hungary and the obstruction of Schengen area expansion for Romania and Bulgaria.

Cardinal Péter Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, addressed shifts in the legal treatment of religion
across Europe. He observed that many Western states have historically modeled their religious legislation on Christian churches, allowing parental choice in religious education within public schools. Erdo noted that as religious diversity increased, religious education transformed to a broader cultural offering, presenting equal human dignity while suggesting the relativity of religious beliefs.

Erdo also discussed the challenge of replacing canon law with more inclusive laws of religious communities, noting that multi-religious societies complicate common definitions of religious phenomena. He warned that equal treatment of all religions by the state could inadvertently deny Christian churches unique opportunities they require based on their faith.

József Steinbach, Pastoral President of the Synod of the Hungarian Reformed Church, emphasized the “common responsibility” between state and church, advocating for engagement with those of differing worldviews in religious and social endeavors. Andor Grósz, pres
ident of the Association of Hungarian Jewish Faith Communities, highlighted a resurgence of anti-Semitism following recent events in Israel. He acknowledged Budapest’s safety for Jewish communities and stressed the importance of strategic cooperation with state bodies to ensure security.