The strength of the nation lies in remaining faithful to its spiritual, spiritual and material heritage, said the President of the Republic at the handover of the Nyíregyháza Greek Catholic Museum on Thursday in the Nyíreszé county seat. On the second day of her two-day visit to the counties of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Katalin Novák spoke about how Greek Catholics are also important to us Hungarians because they bring Eastern light to Western Christian culture.
The head of state added that it is a fundamental Hungarian experience "in our genes" that East and West cannot exist without each other, although this double definition was always there in the knowledge of Hungarian poets, writers and artists, but for few it was as clear and understandable as the for Greek Catholics.
With them, culturally, Eastern Christianity arrives in Western Christianity, and from this encounter not only peaceful coexistence, but also the enrichment of the Christian faith and culture follows, said the head of state.
In his speech, the President of the Republic stated that the nation's strength lies primarily in staying true to its spiritual, intellectual and material heritage, and since Hungarian statehood is as old as Hungarian Christianity, our values can only be interpreted in this framework, in the "interplay of national and Christian thought".
"Christianity was the point of alignment that preserved our country in the labyrinths of history, our churches are the institutions that provided shelter and hope even in the most difficult times, that provided role models and leaders even when the state did not, or not the whole was able in the country"
said Katalin Novák.
He explained that today the fundamental values of the world are just as important as at any time, despite the fact that many people want to believe otherwise, they try to reinterpret the smallest, most intimate and strongest core of the community, the family, more and more loudly, proclaim this model as outdated, or classify the practice of faith as undesirable.
"Our values are the same as they were two thousand, one thousand, or a hundred years ago, and we will not, nor can we, compromise"
- clarified the head of state.
Katalin Novák emphasized at the event that this is precisely why churches are needed in Hungary to provide spiritual support, to teach, educate, nurture and heal.
An active participant in this work is the Greek Catholic Church, which has strengthened its organizational structure in recent years, performs reliable work for the public, provides outstanding assistance to those fleeing the war in Ukraine, and is a partner of the Hungarian government, he added.
He also spoke about the fact that churches are important "lighthouses" in the storms of the modern world, they have thousands of years of experience and knowledge, and with this they give faith, a courageous stand for values, hope and a future to humanity.
Today in Europe and in many places around the world, one can experience indifference towards Christian values, more and more people are turning away from the churches, but Hungary strengthens and respects its churches, builds on the solid foundation they provide for the nation
- said Katalin Novák, thanking the work done by the churches in Hungary.
At the ceremony, the Greek Catholic Metropolitan Fülöp Kocsis blessed and consecrated the building of the museum collection. In his speech, the church leader said that we can praise the ancestors if
we faithfully take over, live authentically and pass on this treasure to our descendants in an understandable way.
Speaking about the investment, István Seszták, the director of the archbishop's office of the Archdiocese of Hajdúdorog, said that the Hungarian government and other supporters provided the funds of almost two billion forints necessary for the construction of the thematic museum with a floor area of approximately two thousand square meters, as well as for the expansion of the college capacity implemented in the building.
In addition to the exhibition halls, the building housed a painter's restorer's workshop, warehouses and community spaces. On the floors of the four-story exhibition space, a permanent exhibition of the Greek Catholic church history and church art heritage will be on display, while temporary exhibitions and art and cultural events will be held on the ground floor.
Source: MTI
Photos: Facebook/Katalin Novak
