In an interview for Croatian daily Glas koncila, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said pandemics and migration will have a serious impact on European Christian democracy in the coming decade.
In regard to the International Eucharistic Congress which will be held in Hungary in September, PM Orbán said “protocol issues” had arisen in connection with the Pope’s visit “that… the anti-Christian and anti-Church forces took aim at”. Pope Francis will be received with respect and “Christian humility” in Hungary as the head of Vatican State and of the Catholic Church, he said. The Hungarian government and the pontiff have disagreements on the issue of migration, PM Orbán said. “We are vehemently opposed to migration, while the Catholic Church has its own opinion,” which had given rise to reports that Pope Francis and Orbán “don’t see eye to eye” and “did not want to meet”, he said.
Meanwhile, PM Orbán said Hungary’s “spirit” had seen a sea-change in the past three decades. “Life is more valuable but it does not yet fully receive the respect it is due,” he said. “Hungary is a secular state looking for its way to God,” he said. Hungary has a “strong, organized community of atheists, anti-clerics and liberals who have a strong media doing everything in their power to stymie the spread of Christian values,” PM Orbán said. At the same time, “Christian media and civil organizations are at least as strong if not stronger, and we hold the political positions,” he added. Christianity is “not a matter of religion but of pre-determination,” PM Orbán said. “A war of cultures and civilisations is under way. The war for Europe’s spirit and future is being waged here and now. We need prayer for Christian unity, because Christianity cannot be upheld in Europe without cooperation,” he said. The great achievements of Christian civilisation will have to be upheld, he added.