"One of the important lessons of our history since Saint Stephen is that what is good for the church is good for the country"
The state must recognize and recognize the service provided by the church to society, stated Zsolt Semjén, according to the MTI report, at the handover of the renovated Stella Egyházi Üdülő in Mátraszentimre-Bagolyirtás.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the government is committed to the renewal of church buildings, since one of the important lessons of Hungarian history since Saint Stephen is that what is good for the church is good for the country and what is good for the country is good for the church.
Zsolt Semjén also said: in the strict sense of the word, this is not support or a favor from the state, but rather benefits the institutions, since Hungarian citizens are taught and cared for in these schools and social homes as well. In this way, the church provides a service of immeasurable value to the entire Hungarian society, he added.
Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén gives a speech in Mátraszentimre-Bagolyirtás, at the inauguration of Stella Egyházi Üdülő, renovated with government support, on October 4 Photo: Péter Komka / MTI
In his opinion, we can also witness today in Europe that if the Christian roots are loosened, they are relativized, and if the Christian civilization is called into question, then it has serious consequences for society as a whole, i.e. for believers and non-believers alike. Zsolt Semjén recalled: the renewed church resort already functioned as a kind of "spiritual powerhouse" during the communist persecution, and today it is a spiritual center that serves rest and recreation.
Before blessing the renovated building, Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, spoke about the fact that in the 1950s, this property was the only one where bishops and priests could meet and rest. As he put it: as in the past, it serves physical and mental refreshment, but the task is the same, to meet Christ while resting.
He also touched on the fact that even after the modernization, the center of the resort is the person of Jesus, the proof of this is the complex's chapel. The facility is also open to secular groups and communities, he noted, and then in his prayer, together with the bishops present, he asked: "may this house also serve Christ, the center of our lives, from whom we always receive new strength."
Source: magyarhirlap.hu
In our opening picture: The Stella Egyházi Udülő building, Photo: Péter Komka / MTI
