Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Speech to mark the Signing of the Agreement between the Government and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary - 31 October 2013, Budapest

Good morning to everyone! It is with respect that I greet you, Eminent Bishops, the school's directors, and its pupils, who are not with us today.

I am glad to have the opportunity to be here with you today. The reason I am addressing you is simply that, since we will soon be signing an important agreement, it is only right that a few accompanying words are spoken in representation of the Government. First of all, if I understood His Eminence, the Bishop correctly, he said that this could be regarded as a kind of Christmas present from the point of view of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary. All I can say to this, is that it may well be that Paul the Apostle is right once gain and it is better to give than to receive. This is one of the reasons I am very happy to sign this agreement. The meaning of this statement is perhaps indicated most clearly if we remember that all funding provided to the Church is in fact, to the last penny, money and support provided to the people of Hungary, because everybody knows that this money will turn into knowledge in church schools and into loving care in its social institutions. Accordingly, I will on behalf of the Hungarian state not just be signing an agreement with His Eminence the Bishop on providing funding to the Church, but on providing funding to the people of Hungary and to every single Hungarian.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The second thought I would like to share with you leads us from the time of the birth of the reformation to the present day. All historical interpretations of this kind, that attempt to interpret past events from a current point of view, are a little dangerous of course, but I will nevertheless risk stating that when, on 31 October 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses onto that church door, Europe was suffering an extremely serious crisis; a concurrent financial, economic and moral crisis. It is no overstatement to say that at that time the continent had stepped onto the path of deformation, and if we understand Luther's gesture correctly, what he professed was that he was ready to stand up against the world that surrounded him. Perhaps what he was also saying through his actions was that Christianity and Europe can only be saved if it is capable of returning to its roots, meaning that it must recognise that it is not through money or material assets, but only through faith that it can achieve salvation by the grace of God.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

He could have done the same today. If he were among us, he would perhaps also nail his 95 theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg today, because Europe is today also suffering from deformation and these deformative symptoms will soon resemble everything that we may have ever read about the state of affairs in Europe in 1517.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

His Eminency, the Bishop also mentioned the fact that 500 years ago, the continent of Europe had reached an important moment in history; the moment of renewal. It is my firm belief that the Europe of today, Europe's still existing positions in world power and within the global economy are derived from the fact that Europe was built on the system of values that stemmed from that renewal, meaning it has that renewal to thank for still being regarded as one of the world's most successful continents today, and we too are regarded as such by the citizens of other continents.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

If I understand everything that happened at that time correctly, then in a wider context we can state that it was after it had learned from Luther that it must view work as a calling from God that Europe set out on its voyage of triumph. And I believe that it always fell into crisis, and this is why we are in crisis in Europe today, because there are times when we forget about this Lutheran teaching that we must regard work as a calling from God, and as a result we imagine our lives and the life of the whole continent without work. This is the fundamental reason for and root of today's problems.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This day of remembrance, the upcoming commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the reformation will, it is my hope, remind us and the continent about the truths I have recalled here today.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The third thought that I would like to attach to the signing of today's agreement can be summarised by saying that if we look at Hungarian history, not European, but Hungarian history, then the Hungarian nation was strong and proud at times when there was a good relationship between the state and the church. We cannot remember a successful period in Hungarian history when the relationship between church and state was bad. In every successful era, this cooperation, this relationship flourished and was strong. Probably because during these periods of history the state acknowledged the church's calling according to which, in addition to organising religious life, it is they who play an important role in helping the poor and needy, and in healing the sick. And a state can only be strong if it does not forget about these responsibilities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is perhaps also not an exaggeration to say that it is the churches who possess the greatest knowledge about how to build a true and strong community. This is also our viewpoint. And accordingly it is only right that I remind you, with a measure of pride, of the fact that Hungary's Fundamental Law now begins with the words: "God bless the Hungarians!". Our Constitution acknowledges the role of Christianity in preserving the nation and recognises its roots in Christian culture.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It follows from this that if any Hungarian state wishes to fulfil its obligations according to the Constitution, then, while respecting the separation of state and church, it must work to strengthen the cooperation between the state and the church in the interests of the public good and community goals.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Through today's agreement, and this is my fourth, accompanying thought, the Hungarian state acknowledges the role played by the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in our nation's history, in its struggles for freedom, in the continuance of the languages and cultures of Hungary's ethnic groups, and in the preservation of our national identity. I tell the public, because of course the evangelists know this without me telling them, that today the evangelists maintain a total of 72 educational institutions. They contribute to the public good by educating 17,000 young people in these institutions and by operating 35 social institutions through which they provide assistance to 5,000 people in Hungary today. Thank you!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This agreement, about which we have heard earlier, concerns the fact that the buildings that play an outstanding role in the community services provided by the Evangelical-Lutheran Church will be renovated by 2017, in time for the 500th anniversary. His Eminence, the Bishop has already spoken about the contents of the agreement. I must say a special thank you to my fellow Member of Parliament Ákos Kara, who played a decisive role, when we were searching for a large-scale opportunity, development project, step forward that was worthy of the anniversary and which was important to the evangelical community, then he succeeded in helping us make that one percent chance, because well, when conceiving an idea, a project or a plan the chances of it being realised are usually about one percent, so he played an important role in swelling that on percent into one hundred percent. Congratulations, Ákos, and thank you very much for your work.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to share with you an idea that cropped up during our negotiations prior to the signing of this agreement, which His Eminence, the Bishop has already mentioned. This agreement, it is my intention, is not the close of something, but rather the beginning of a series. Your excellent ears - there are musicians among us - will have of course immediately heard the partiality of this sentence. And this is true, but if the good Lord helps us, then this is the first step in a long series, and I will happily put myself at the disposal of the evangelists every four years in the interests of realising similar, large-scale, mutual plans. Let us therefore trust that we are not closing, but instead opening a grander series.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Finally, I strongly believe that today's agreement will contribute to helping us renew Hungary and Europe based on our Christian traditions and in cooperation with You and the country's other large churches.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Thank you for your kind attention.

(Prime Minister’s Office)