In Szatmárnémeti, the renovated Roman Catholic Episcopal Cathedral was blessed on Saturday in the presence of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Hungary and Romania, as well as the Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic archbishops and bishops of Hungary and Romania.
The renovation of the monument was financed by the European Union and the Romanian and Hungarian states.
Zsolt Semjén, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary, in his greeting after the thanksgiving mass, Saint Stephen , said that everyone should be a country and nation builder where life has placed them.
He also recalled that at the end of the king's reign, he offered the Hungarian crown and the country to the Virgin Mary
"With this, he gave transcendent perspectives to immanent Hungarian history. He called us all to shape the history of our people into a salvation story. I wish Hungarians, Romanians, Catholics, Reformed, and Orthodox to understand and follow the example of St. Stephen, and that his heavenly intercession will help us on the path to salvation," said Zsolt Semjén.
Kelemen Hunor believed that those societies that renounced sacred time in favor of profane time seem lost in history.
According to him, these societies sooner or later deny the past, erase it, and thus destroy the invisible, but all the more important, spiritual roots of a community, a people, a nation. He added that all such attempts so far have failed and all similar structures that lack sacred space and time have collapsed.
"Where a new church is built, where the old church is renovated, where the new has a place next to the old, where tomorrow is built on yesterday, and where thin roots and capillaries remain alive, there is a strong there is a community that can survive, can create something new, can plan and build," said the RMDSZ politician.
Attila Cseke, the minister responsible for development, public administration and public works in Romania, said that the ministry he leads finances the renovation of 54 historic buildings in Transylvania and Partium, of which 28 are churches or cathedrals.
With these renovations, "we are strengthening our roots, showing our values, but at the same time we are also turning to the future," he added.
Jenő Schönberger of Szatmár reminded us that the task of every Christian community is to build a church, not only of stone, but also of soul. He noted: even if the cathedral in Szatmár is more modest than the episcopal cathedrals of the neighboring dioceses, it is a witness to the faith, love and sacrifice of many people.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Szatmári was established in 1804, after the Egri Diocese was divided into three parts. The episcopal cathedral built after that was consecrated on August 20, 1837. As it was explained at the Saturday mass blessing the renovated cathedral: the bishopric won a grant of 10.8 million lei (771.1 million forints) within the framework of the European Union's regional operational program for the complete renovation of the building, and the Romanian government provided this amount with 1.9 million lei (HUF 135.6 million) was added.
The bishopric's share was 260,000 lei (18.5 million forints). The Hungarian government undertook to cover unforeseen additional costs during the investment, in the amount of two million lei (148 million forints). During the renovation, the tin roof was replaced with a copper one, the stone and metal elements of the cathedral were restored, the floor was replaced, the heating system was modernized, and the church yard was rearranged.
Source: MTI
Photo: szatmariszekes.ro
