Orbán Viktor's Speech to Mark the Presentation of the Grand Order of Merit to Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna.
Your Eminencies! Your Excellencies! Ladies and Gentlemen!
It is with great respect that I welcome Cardinal Schönborn. Today's celebration is an excellent opportunity for us to express the deep appreciation and gratitude of the Hungarian people towards His Eminence the Cardinal. The gratitude and appreciation that we feel towards him because the Cardinal has written himself – his name and his deeds – into the historical memory of the Hungarian nation. It is as a sign of and a testimony to this that we present him today with this award, which is also a symbol of our friendship. This recognition is not an homage to the life and accomplishments of His Eminence the Cardinal. That would require not a simple award, but an entire conference, and would not require the Prime Minister of Hungary, but instead a more worthy and more expert rapporteur. This recognition centres on a single dimension, namely the relationship between His Eminence the Cardinal and Hungary.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
A Europe that has forgotten about its Christian roots is like a man who built his home on sand with no foundations, and when the floods come and the waters hit the building, he finds it on the brink of collapse. Today, it is the common goal of many responsibly-thinking individuals that Europe should once again be built on the rock solid foundations of Christianity. To successfully face the crisis, Europe must clarify its relationship with its own Christian past and must consolidate its identity. It is our belief that economic recovery is only possible in Europe and in Hungary if the rise of hearts and souls also comes to pass. It is our firm conviction that without nations, Europe has no heart, and that without Christianity, it has no soul. It is for precisely this reason that the new Fundamental law begins with the first line from our national prayer: "Oh Lord, Bless the people of Hungary!" This is why we set down in the new Fundamental Law of Hungary that Christianity is a nation-preserving force, and it is the family and the nation that form the basis for social coexistence. We declare that faith, love and loyalty are the most important adhesives of human coexistence.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
During the course of arguments on the future of Europe, and in it Hungary, it is of paramount importance that there are people living in Europe who not only understand our objectives, but openly assume allegiance with some of our endeavours. We have always been able to count on Cardinal Schönborn as a friend at the time of attacks on Hungary. He did not search to find fault in the Hungarian Fundamental Law, but instead pointed out what values we wish to give a new voice and a new emphasis to within a secularised Europe. At the same time, His Eminence the Cardinal is also an active figure in furthering dialogue between Jews and Christians, and between western and eastern Christendom. We are especially delighted that only three weeks ago His Eminence the Cardinal and Prince-Primate Cardinal Péter Erdő were elected members of the Council of General Synod. This provides us with hope that there will be opportunities for further cooperation. I would also like to recall the fact that in commemoration of Cardinal Mindszenty, Cardinal Schönborn was the Patron of the Mindszenty Exhibition held in Vienna. The life of Cardinal Mindszenty, the apostle of hope, is a strong link between the Hungarian and Austrian Churches, and the faithful of both Churches turn to his memory with respect. In view of all these facts, it is a great honour that, following the proposal of the President of the Republic, I may today present the Great Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary to His Eminence Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, for facilitating catholic collaboration in Central Europe, for his determined stance in support of Hungary, and for the consistent protection of the Christian roots of Europe.
God bless you, Your Eminence!
(Prime Minister’s Office)
