Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, blessed the flower cart of the Debrecen Flower Carnival depicting the Holy Crown and made in honor of the International Eucharistic Congress next to the Esztergom Basilica on Sunday, after the mass presented on the Feast of the Assumption.
The cardinal pointed out that the carriage depicting the Holy Crown is closely related to the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as "Saint Stephen offered his crown, i.e. his country and people, to the protection of the Virgin Mary". We "need" this protection even in today's changing times.
He also touched on the fact that with the sacramental processions, the participants ask Christ to protect the parish, the city, and the country where the procession passes. Just like these processions, the two flower carriages depicting the Holy Crown and the Holy of Holies are also "a great form of prayer from Debrecen to Esztergom and Budapest, for our country and our entire people," said the cardinal.
Miklós Kásler, the Minister of Human Resources, emphasized in his greeting: The feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also the feast of the death and heavenly birth of Saint Stephen. He put it this way: "We can thank Saint István that we live, that we live as Hungarians, and that we can live here."
He was the one - the minister continued - who created the Frankish Christian Hungarian state, and thus ensured the country's survival both physically and spiritually. He added: Saint István confirmed this decision when he offered his kingdom to the Virgin Mary one day before his death. This is how Hungary became the Kingdom of Mary, Regnum Marianum. Mary is therefore not only the patron of the country, but also its queen.
Pál Völner, the Fidesz parliamentary representative of the region, spoke about the fact that a few years ago, a tradition was established that flower carts leave Esztergom for the flower carnival in Debrecen. This year, in addition to the carriage depicting the Holy Crown, one was also made in honor of the International Eucharistic Congress.
At the end of the mass, Péter Erdő blessed the new time capsule of the Esztergom basilica. The original capsule, placed during the construction of the main cathedral in 1845, was removed from the cross of the dome during the three-year renovation of the basilica.
The new time capsule contains a copy of the original document, the current directory of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, commemorative medals of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, a mouth mask as a reminder of the coronavirus epidemic, and Péter Erdő's writing.
more about the event here .
Photo: MTI/Márton Mónus
