The President of the Republic gave a snappy answer to all those who in recent months whipped the Franciscan monk with false accusations. Meanwhile, Csaba Böjte said that he would like to "switch to grandfather mode", since he and his colleagues have raised almost six thousand children so far, and they already have almost "a thousand grandchildren", so a little rest would be necessary.

Even the smallest drifting life is valuable to the Hungarian people, and this is also indicated by my award - said Csaba Böjte, who was awarded the Hungarian Order of Honor on the occasion of the founding of the state. The Franciscan monk received the award from the President of the Republic Katalin Novák in Esztergom.

Csaba Böjte was able to receive the recognition for his humanitarian activities, for embracing the children with a difficult fate in Transylvania, for his highly influential teachings that help to live the life of providence, and for his life's journey serving the spiritual strengthening of the Hungarian nation.

Csaba Böjte emphasized: the recognition he received tells him that even the most disadvantaged children are valuable for the Hungarian nation, since the Hungarian state appreciates that he has bent over backwards for these children.

He added: the award encourages not only him, but all of us, to "dare to knock on the homes at the end of the village and address the children living there, dare to enter into a community with them", trusting that they will become useful members of society.

The Franciscan monk put it this way: "we must look at each other with a creative eye." The child sees himself in the mirror of the adult's eyes. "If he looks me in the eye and sees that I believe he can do it, then he'll go, he'll go for it," and he'll actually be able to do it. He then builds on small successes and takes on bigger and bigger things. This is how we all grow. "Therefore, we must look at each other, our nation and the future with this trust."

"After all, God did not tell us to prepare for the end of the world, but to pray for his kingdom to come," he added.

Speaking about his plans, Csaba Böjte said that he "wants to switch to grandfather mode". He and his colleagues have raised almost six thousand children, they already have close to "a thousand grandchildren", and they don't really want to take in new children, rather they want to take care of the ones who have left.

I want to help the children who grew up in the foundation's homes to start families, and those who already have, not to drift away from their wives and husbands, and to be able to raise their children well, he said.

Csaba Böjte also spoke about his gratitude to the children he cared for for allowing themselves to be taught, for listening to the good and the beautiful.

The Franciscan monk also thanked his colleagues who, over the past 30 years, have worked as volunteers for weeks or months, or as co-workers in the foundation's homes for years or decades.

He would like it, he noted, if it were possible to "trim off" the edge of the award and give each of them a piece of it.

MTI