The Government set up a committee on Thursday to oversee celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The inaugural meeting was attended by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Speaker of Parliament László Kövér, Minister for Human Resources Zoltán Balog and leaders of Hungary’s main Protestant churches.

Protestantism is the second largest religion in Hungary, with about 20 percent of the country’s 10 million members, while Catholics are the majority with 51 percent. In 2017, Protestants from all over the world will commemorate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther publishing his so-called Ninety-Five Theses, sending them to the Bishop of Mainz on 31 October 1517.

DownloadAfter the meeting, Mr. Balog said the full committee will also include a representative of the Catholic Church, two academicians and representatives of smaller Protestant churches. The Minister – a Calvinist pastor himself – said after the meeting that at the Prime Minister’s proposal the committee will be led by a ministerial commissioner, Károly Hafenscher, clerical president of the Synod of the Evangelical Church, while Mr. Balog himself will oversee the operative work of the committee.

The Minister of Human Resources also said that the Ambassadors of Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands will inform the committee about their countries’ preparations for the anniversary.

DownloadGusztáv Bölcskei, Bishop of the Hungarian Reformed Church, stated at the meeting that the Reformation unleashed tremendous energies 500 years ago and gave people back the strength to live their earthly lives to the fullest.

(Prime Minister’s Office)