COMMON PRAYER BEFORE THE FORUM OF CARPATHIAN-BASIN HUNGARIAN REPRESENTATIVES IN THE PARLIAMENT

On June 13, 2024, the Hungarian Parliamentary Prayer Group organized a parliamentary prayer breakfast for the second time with the joint participation of prayer group members and Hungarian representatives from the Carpathian Basin.

The event was opened by the leader of the Hungarian Parliamentary Prayer Group, Imre Vejkey, and then Márta Mátrai, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, greeted the attendees.

Mrs. Deputy Speaker emphasized that without God it is not possible to control the affairs of the world. We Hungarians, who live in the Carpathian Basin, know the miracle of creation, and we bear witness to our faith in God together every year at Pentecost, at the Csíksomlyó pilgrimage. She pointed out the Peace March as such testimony, which proved that we are serious about our Hungarianness and we are also serious about our faith. Regarding the necessity and importance of peace, she emphasized that it can only be created by cooperating with each other, if the leaders of the countries build together, and if we build together in faith and spirit. Mrs. Deputy Speaker also recalled the importance of Hungarian Unity Day, when every year on June 4, the bell calls us all to pray together.

The greetings were followed by reflections on faith, personal stories and testimonies. Deputy Minister Csaba Latorcai, Executive Vice President of the Hungarian Christian Democratic Party (KDNP), Zsolt Németh, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament, prayer group member Margit Batthyány-Schmidt, Ödön Szabó, representative of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), prayer group member Csaba János Tóth and Csaba Eöry shared their thoughts.

In his reflection, Csaba Latorcai drew attention to the importance and power of our spoken words, emphasizing that this is of particular importance for those who work on matters of public life. So let us think about shaping our words in such a way that they are pleasing to God, and with this we can set an example both in the world and in our narrower environment, in our family.

Chair Zsolt Németh presented the disciples of Emmaus, whom Jesus had to stop and call their attention to listen to Him. We humans are similar to them, but the real purpose of our gathering today is precisely to stop, find Jesus Christ and pay attention to Him. 

Ödön Szabó reflected on forgiveness, using Saint László of Nagyvárad as an example, recalling his letter to the abbot of Monte Cassinó Abbey. With the letter, in which our holy king, among other things, honestly confesses his own guilt, he sets an example for us. ("Although I am a sinful man, since the care of earthly dignity cannot be promoted without the most serious sins, I have not neglected the height of your holiness.") His action is an example for us of confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness, thereby emphasizing the importance of receiving forgiveness. After all, despite the fact that King László publicly confessed his sins, the church accepted him among its saints.

The highlight of the festive occasion was the fact that at the end of the event, President Pál Schmitt handed over a unique edition of the Vizsoly Bible, a gift to the Hungarian Parliamentary Prayer Group, which will be placed in a dignified manner in the prayer group's prayer room in the Parliament.

Photos from the event: