President prays for the beatification of József Mindszenty

Dr. Tamás Sulyok attended the Holy Mass of the National Mindszenty Penitential Pilgrimage at the Basilica of Esztergom, then lit a memorial candle at the Cardinal’s grave. Every year, the pilgrimage involves prayers for the beatification of the late Cardinal. 

In his post about the event, the Head of State emphasised that he regards Cardinal József Mindszenty as a model of unwavering faith and steadfastness. He recalled Mindszenty’s episcopal motto, Devictus vincit (“Defeated, yet victorious”), which, he said, “perfectly reflects the late Cardinal’s character and his lifelong fidelity to his faith and his country.

The former Archbishop of Esztergom was subjected to constant political attacks under the Rákosi regime, against which he stood firm. However, the one-party dictatorship attempted to render him unable to exercise his office through unlawful legal proceedings, as he stood in the way of those who held exclusive political power. 

Even after the persecution, torture and unjust conviction the Cardinal had suffered during the decades of communism, he refused to yield to the political blackmail of the one-party regime and resign from the Archbishopric of Esztergom. József Mindszenty died in exile in Vienna on 6 May 1975.

In accordance with his last will and testament, the late Cardinal was laid to rest on Hungarian soil following the country’s complete liberation from Soviet rule, on 4 May 1991.