Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Press Statement at the Signing of the Agreement with Patriarch Bartholomew I

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, please allow me to remind you of the fact that His All Holiness received us for an audience in Istanbul in December of last year, during which we agreed that the Orthodox Church has contributed significantly to the intellectual and material development of Hungary. It was during that visit that we agreed on the principles of today's agreement. On the occasion of the signing of the agreement, I would like to say that we are proud of the fact that the State of Hungary came into existence on the border between western and eastern Christianity. Eastern Christian communities have been enriching our homeland's material and intellectual culture for over a thousand years, and in fact it is worth remembering here today that the first Hungarian Christians were not christened by Rome, but by Constantinople.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your deeply respected All Holiness,

In our view, Christian culture is the guiding force of Hungarian history. We aren't European on account of geographical reasons; we are European because we are Christians, and we are guided by the firm belief that we can only build a strong and successful Hungary on these traditions, on these national, Christian and European traditions. I would like to tell His All Holiness that there is a clear, Hungarian historical experience according to which the Hungarian state, and with it all of Hungary, was only strong when the state viewed the country's Churches not as enemies, but as its allies. This is why we felt it was important, in addition to formulating the new Church Act, to conclude agreements with those Churches who played a significant role in Hungarian history and who represent values that Hungary will also have need of in the 21st century.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Orthodox Church has also contributed greatly to Hungary's intellectual and material development and has played a defining part in the lives, culture and education of Hungary's minorities. The agreement we have concluded today will, according to the hopes of the Hungarian Government, contribute to the perpetuation and deepening of the excellent relationship between the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Government of Hungary and, we hope, will strengthen our national and European identity.

Thank you very much to Your All Holiness for signing this agreement.

(Prime Minister’s Office)