According to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary's opinion regarding the possible EU sanctions of Russian Patriarch Kirill has been well known for a long time, and no one spoke against the Hungarian position at the EU summit. In the end, under pressure from Viktor Orbán, Patriarch Kirill was removed from the EU sanctions list.
The Prime Minister's statement was published by his press chief, Bertalan Havasi: according to this, Hungary naturally abides by the agreement that the EU heads of state and government concluded with each other at the European Council meeting; these decisions are binding on everyone.
Viktor Orbán added: Hungary's position regarding the possible sanctioning of Patriarch Kirill has long been well known to the EU partners, and it has been explained several times in recent weeks at COREPER, the consultation forum of EU ambassadors.
At the extraordinary meeting of the European Council on Monday-Tuesday, no one raised a word against the Hungarian position - Viktor Orbán concluded his statement.
The surprise of EU officials is incomprehensible
The foreign affairs spokesman of the European People's Party faction, Michael Gahler, criticized Hungary because the Hungarian government is blocking the adoption of the sixth EU sanctions package against Russia because of Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Orthodox Church. The EU would freeze the head of the church's assets and forbid him to enter EU territory.
It is incomprehensible why EU officials are shocked by Hungary's position, which our country has clearly stated several times: Viktor Orbán spoke for the first time on May 6 about the fact that the sixth sanctions package, beyond the oil embargo, also has an unacceptable provision for Hungary, a red line , which cannot be crossed , and this is that they also want to put Patriarch Kirill on the banned list. "We do not support putting church leaders on the sanctions list," explained the prime minister.
The name of Patriarch Kirill was removed from the list in the final version of the sanctions package, signed on Thursday. Welt writes that the church leader's name was removed from the list under pressure from the Hungarian government, lest Hungary veto the package. The news was then confirmed by Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in his Facebook post.
Several church leaders asked Viktor Orbán for help
Several church leaders, such as the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church responsible for foreign relations, and the adviser to the ruling archpriest of the Hungarian Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, wrote to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the "remaining voice" of Christianity and common sense in the European Union. They wrote that the idea of the European Commission could create a dangerous precedent for "keeping other churches in check" and "politically sanctioning" them.
Freedom of religion is sacred for Hungary
Tristan Azbej, the state secretary responsible for helping persecuted Christians and implementing the Hungary Helps program, also spoke about the fact that Hungary does not support the sanctioning of religious leaders . "For Hungary, however, religious freedom is sacred and inviolable, so it does not support sanctioning church leaders," he emphasized, adding that the Russian Orthodox Church has 160 million followers and 40,000 priests worldwide. However, the European Commission's "ideal" idea would even prohibit the head of the Orthodox Church from entering the territory of the Union, i.e. it would isolate the faithful living there from their religious leader. This idea is harmful, it does not lead to reconciliation - emphasized the state secretary.
Source: Magyar Hírlap
Photo: MTI/EPA/Oleg Varov
