In our west, it is a common opinion that churches are no longer of any social use.

No matter what pressure we face, the Hungarian government will stand by the Christian foundations of Europe - the Minister of Finance declared at the thanksgiving ceremony of the renovated Reformed Church of Kunmadaras in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County on Sunday.

Mihály Varga highlighted: while churches are disappearing to the west of us, the government has supported the construction or renovation of 3,000 churches in Hungary and abroad in the past decade.

Regarding the renovation of the church in Kunmadara, he said: this long and thorough construction work is "out of today's trends" because a church was being built here. This is an unusual phenomenon in a world where the cross is removed from the walls of offices as exclusionary and offensive, he said, noting that this happened in Germany a year and a half ago.

"Or where anyone who quotes from the Bible is threatened with prison, Finland has been buzzing with such a scandalous lawsuit for years. There are places where existing churches are turned into residential parks, nightclubs, perhaps libraries or community centers, and in the worst case, they are simply demolished, as has happened to many churches in Germany, France or even the Netherlands," he listed.

Mihály Varga highlighted: between 2010 and 2019, three thousand churches were renovated or built in Hungary and in Hungarian-inhabited areas across the border.

In our west, it is a common opinion that churches have no social use anymore, he said, adding that churches are the most basic places for joint spiritual construction.

He emphasized: the renewal of religious and church sites is considered a priority goal. He spoke about the fact that Kunmadaras is a settlement with a Reformed majority, so the renovation of the Reformed church here has a special community role.

In recent years, the church was able to be renovated with government support for HUF 371 million, he indicated. It is a great pleasure that the renovation took place inside and outside, together with the tower and the external environment, and today this imposing building is the jewel of the settlement, he added.

The minister said that churches even in the smallest villages are a witness to the Christian cultural roots that have strengthened European nation-states for centuries. They are also evidence that any long-term functioning society is based on its local communities.

Mihály Varga stated: the Hungarian position is clear, they stand for the best practice of societies based on communities, and therefore support Europe functioning as an alliance of nation states.

Europe only has a future if it preserves its foundations, on which it has been organically built over centuries.

The most important community-organizing force on the European continent is Christianity, "therefore, no matter how much pressure is put on us, we will stand up for Christian values, the Christian foundations of Europe", and we will strengthen the places and churches where local communities can develop, he said.

The head of the ministry also touched on the fact that the government is on the side of renewal instead of destruction, and supports peace instead of war.

As he said: Hungary has been developing again since the national government established in 2010 applied its own sovereign solutions. Mihály Varga put it this way: in the past decade, we have found local ways to strengthen the labor market, protect and support families, put the public finances in order, and catch up with the Hungarian countryside - thus Hungary has become a factor in the world, even if our size sets limits to this.

Europe must return to its own roots, to its own Christian identity, he added.

Sándor F. Kovács, the Fidesz member of parliament of the region, spoke about how the church shines in its old light and proclaims the power that not only the church, but also the municipal building and the school proclaim in Kunmadara: in this region, in this settlement, there is a greater power there is, as many thought.

Imre Hubai, the chairman of the Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county assembly, said that "one of the strongest features of the county", one of the most beautiful churches in Nagykunság, has been renovated. He added: not only the congregation and the settlement, but the entire region was enriched by the renewed church.

Marianna Balogh, the mayor of Kunmadaras with a population of around five thousand (Új Esélyt Kunmadarasnak Egyesület), thanked the government for its support. He said that in addition to the church, the local school was also renovated and expanded.

Reformed pastor László Fazakas explained: the renovation of the church began in 2014 and ended last fall with the restoration of its surroundings, in which the local government participated in addition to the parish. The church was modernized inside and out, thanks to the Hungarian government, the church tower was also renovated in 2021-2022.

Tibor Koncz, dean of the Nagykunsági Reformed Diocese, also took part in the thanksgiving ceremony.

MTI

Cover photo: The Reformed Church in Kunmadara
Source: Facebook/Imre Hubai