23 January 2014, Budapest

Good Morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. Right Reverend Bishops, Dear Guests,

I could open in a way that befits the occasion by saying what a wonderful congregation we have here today. I hereby open the session. I would like to remind all of you that I received a letter from the Bishops Gusztáv Bölcskei and Péter Gáncs last February, and this letter included plans to set up a memorial committee. Their Excellencies the Bishops recommended that the memorial committee be set up jointly with the Hungarian State. Since we are all aware that we will be celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation throughout the world in 2017, and so here too, in Hungary, its worthy commemoration and its worthy celebration is a legitimate requirement we must pose to ourselves, and having received the letter, we decided to set up a Reformation Memorial Committee charged with organising worthy celebrations. We are holding the first official session of this Reformation Memorial Committee here today, and I do hereby open the discussion, while thanking all those present for having accepted our invitation to attend.
After having received the letter, I thought at length on what could be a suitable method here. I looked at what solutions states decide on in other countries that also have Protestant, Lutheran and Calvinist traditions. I found all sorts of solutions, as is usual within Europe, but in the end, in answer to the question of whether it is right that the celebrations are organised by the churches and the state together in a joint committee, or whether they should do so separately, the Hungarian Government replied that it is better for all concerned if we do so in a joint committee and are therefore able to also meet the requirements included and expressed in the letter.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Although my job today is merely to open the work of this Committee in short, in view of the interest manifested by the press, and also out of respect for those gathered here today, it is perhaps right if, in addition to formally opening the session, I also express a few thoughts that may perhaps seem like clichés, but which remain, at least in the minds of the current Government, thoughts of political significance, thoughts of public significance, and thoughts that are linked to the lessons of the Reformation.

The first such statement, and this was the decisive reason for setting up a joint committee rather than separate church and state committees, is that Hungary has always been strong, and the nation has always been most unified and has had suitable self-esteem, when the state regarded the Churches, and especially Hungary's historic Churches, not as enemies, but as allies. This Committee is an excellent example of the fact that we would like to continue this tradition, this tradition of being allies. And I would at this point like to stress that the Churches perform their activities, which the state both recognises and supports, not only with regard to religion, but they also undertake a lion's share in the promotion of culture and with regard to educating the young, helping the poor and needy and healing the sick, and according to the beliefs of the current Government this is a natural state of affairs and these activities are deserving of acknowledgement and support. It is perhaps important to remind ourselves, and this is especially true for members of my generation, that not long ago religion was regarded as the opium of the people and this is what we were taught in school. Now, when we are preparing for the trooping of the triumphant 500th anniversary, it is also worth remembering the times, and it was not too long ago, when the Churches were oppressed, their members were punished by being unlawfully demoted, and religion itself was persecuted. One of my favourite quotes, which I would like to share with you now, is a perpetual piece of wisdom that it is a good idea for all governments to keep in mind, and was perhaps said by Theodore Beza, and it goes like this. "The Church is an anvil on which many a hammer has been worn down". And in our case, the hammer was worn down and the sickle went blunt too. It would be good to keep this in mind on the eve on the celebrations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would also like to quote for you that other edifying thought, according to which there can be no successful crisis management in Europe without spiritual renewal. In addition to providing its religious theses, 500 years ago the Reformation also served as a reply to the increasing crisis in Europe. It is my firm belief that Europe has much to learn from this story. Today, we are suffering from a crisis from which our continent cannot escape using only economic decisions and without spiritual and intellectual renewal.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is perhaps also an important lesson that this kind of spiritual renewal is never easy, this remains true today and it was not easy then; things did not succeed in one fell swoop, the arguments could not be circumvented and it was impossible to dodge either the struggles or the victims.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am convinced that there is a relationship between Europe's successful, world-dominating history spanning many centuries, its rise in the global economic competition and the Reformation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is also important from a national perspective that we find arguments in support of the state and the Church cooperating now, in preparation for the memorial year. We have all learned here from István Nemeskürty the relationship, which is also a fine example of inter-denominational cooperation and mutual acknowledgement, that is to say that it was he who reminded us of the relationship between the survival of the nation and the Reformation. We can safely say that 500 years ago, the Reformation was also a reply to one of the most serious crises in Hungarian history, because the country had been split into three parts and we had to survive on the front line of a clash between two warring empires, and this survival of the nation could hardly have succeeded without the Reformation. I recommend to the Memorial Committee that it also places suitable emphasis on the nation-preserving role of the Reformation. It may seem like a minor phenomenon, but it is an important message for our lives today, that the Hungarian reformers completed most of their studies at the best foreign universities. It was natural to them that they should go abroad to study, and even to work, just as they thought it natural to come back afterwards and perform their service to the homeland here. This also has an important significance and message with regard to our own lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

And finally, at the end of this short opening speech, I would like to express the firm belief of the Hungarian Government that the Reformation provided the Hungarian peoples with a national treasure that belongs to all of us regardless of denomination, and the collection and presentation of these values will be one of the most important duties of this Memorial Committee. This means a lot of work. I would like to assure you that during these upcoming three years, during these three difficult and labour intensive three years that stand before us, you can count on the continuous support of the Hungarian State and of the Hungarian Government, God willing of course, because there will be several occurrences that may have an effect on the composition of the government. Whatever the case, I would like on our own behalf to reinforce the Hungarian Government's commitment towards the successful work of the Committee and towards the successful celebrations.

Thank you for your kind attention.

I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that as a result of several reasons, which all point in the same direction, I have asked Minister [for Public Administration and Justice] Zoltán Balog to be so kind as to organise the actual daily work of this Committee. And of course he also undertakes responsibility for possible failure; if we succeed I will be prepared to do my duty myself, of course. Thank you once again for your kind attention! The floor is yours, Zoltán.

(Prime Minister’s Office)