Today, nothing less is at stake than keeping our Christian national traditions alive and passing them on

The Christian song genre is the leaven of our community and can be a wonderful tool for intergenerational dialogue. To this end, exemplary cooperation is taking place between the government and the churches, said Magdolna Závogyán in her welcome address at the Carpathian Basin Church Song Festival in Budapest on Sunday.

At the event held at the House of Hungarian Music, the Secretary of State for Culture emphasized: it has never been so important to play whistles, drums, guitars and songs, to proclaim the rock foundations of sacredness, Christian values, and national identity.

The state secretary responsible for culture of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation recalled that the Hungarian government launched the religious popular music support program in 2019, which is implemented with significant resources.

"I am convinced that we can talk about religious popular music not only in connection with young people. The Hungarian pioneers of the genre are now strongly middle-aged, and there are more and more graying heads in the pews at guitar masses and church services advertised for the youth.

- remarked the State Secretary for Culture.

As he pointed out, Christian songs have come a long way in our domestic churches and communities, since in our culture it did not previously have genre roots like in other corners of the world. He added: from the initial mistrust and timid attempts to today's overflowing stadiums, it has been possible to reach the transmission of value with sustaining power.

"Today, nothing less is at stake than keeping alive and passing on our European and Christian national traditions" -

stated Magdolna Závogyán.

Miklós Soltész, the Prime Minister's State Secretary responsible for church and ethnic relations, called it gratifying that dozens of communities from Székelyudvarhely to Korond to Felvidék and throughout Hungary sing the songs of the older generation of Hungarian church folk music, or glorify God by expanding the repertoire and acquiring new ones.

"We also want to announce to the world that Christian folk music, which dates back more than a decade, and which was previously under so many attacks, is now present not only in our churches and houses of worship, but also at the papal mass, reaching various spaces and community places, the Papp László also to the Budapest Sports Arena"

– listed Miklós Soltész.

The state secretary praised the 76-year-old Jenő Silye, one of the creators of Hungarian church folk music. According to Miklós Soltész, the task of today's representatives of the genre is to fight the fight of Christianity.

The 1st Carpathian Basin Church Song Festival was organized by the Guitar Ensemble of Felső-kristinaváros and was created with the support of the government. More than twenty domestic and international ensembles from the Catholic, Reformed and Pentecostal churches will take part in the Sunday event at the House of Hungarian Music. Several church leaders and bishops are present at the event.

MTI

Featured image: Attila Jászai Mari Award-winning actor and musical singer Dolhai at the Carpathian Basin Church Light Music Festival at the House of Hungarian Music on September 24, 2023. MTI/Zoltán Máthé