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Novák Katalin ünnepi beszéde New Yorkban 2023.03.05.

Katalin Novák in New York: Hungary is a Christian country by destiny, and the war must be stopped rather than fuelled

In New York, on the first day of her visit to the United States, the President of Hungary held a presentation in front of leading American Christian academicians on Hungary’s politics and its Christian roots.

Katalin Novák talked of Hungary’s relationship with Christianity, the ensuing components of Hungarian policies and the societal impact of these Christian roots.

Hungary is a Christian country by definition and destiny, which is also reflected in daily life. Without regard to the number of regular church-goers, the lifestyle and the traditions are Christian – the Hungarian Head of State pointed out at the event organised by the Bonum Commune Foundation. She spoke of the steps Hungary has taken to help persecuted Christians, the results of which have reached over one million people already, and – as she stressed – the Hungarian people pay a lot more attention to this question as a result.

Speaking of the foundation of Hungarian politics, she explained that in addition to the individual, the community is also seen as a priority. In addition to the sovereignty of the individual, Hungary sees the sovereignty of the nation and of the country as a priority. In terms of policy decisions, she highlighted that the honour of the individual is based on the work they do, and that all forms of human life and dignity, including families and children, enjoy protection and are approached with responsibility- she added.

As an example of the policies rooted in Christianity, the Head of State gave an account of the components and principles of Hungary’s family policy. She underlined, that Hungary’s family policy does not tell people how to live, but the state sees it as its responsibility to put in place the conditions whereby people can have children, if they so decide. Our policies support the traditional family and family values – the President remarked while talking to her American audience, referring several times to the provisions of Hungary’s Fundamental Law that entered into force in 2012.

Katalin Novák also covered the war in Ukraine, emphasizing that families have suffered the most, and for this reason alone, peace and a ceasefire must follow, and the war must end in the name of Christian values. The war must not be fuelled, but stopped.

Gladen Pappin, Professor of the University of Dallas, currently a visiting senior fellow at the institution called Mathias Corvinus Collegium in Budapest, said that they thought it was important for the American audience to also become acquainted with the principles of Hungarian politics. He noted that while Hungarian may be a very complex language, what it conveys reflects very clear thinking.