On October 8, the Hungarian Batthyány Foundation organized a commemoration service with Holy Mass at the Alcantarai Saint Peter Church in Ferenciek Square on the anniversary of Count Lajos Batthyány's death.
The event featured speeches by Margit Batthyány-Schmidt, president of the Hungarian Batthyány Foundation, Gábor Móczár, director general of the National Heritage Institute, and Dr. Katalin Tóth, chair of the Hungarian Parliamentary Prayer Group Foundation.
The central message of her speech was that the count was a man who followed the dictates of faith, patriotism, and conscience even in the darkest hours. His commitment to the Hungarian nation and his fulfillment of his patriotic duty as the first independent prime minister of Hungary were more important to him than his own life. His martyrdom tells us that true faith is manifested in deeds and that we are capable of making even the greatest sacrifices in the name of love. His last words, "Long live the homeland," speak not only of courage but also of his unwavering loyalty to his country.
As a Christian, he knew that power was not an end in itself, but a means of service. Although his motto was "Viam meam persecutus sum" (I have followed my own path), this path was not a selfish one, but one of service to the community and the nation.
Jesus said to His disciples, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul" (Matthew 10:28). Count Lajos Batthyány was not afraid of death. He knew that the body could perish, but the cause he fought for and the soul he gave to God would live forever.
In his second letter to Timothy, Apostle Paul wrote: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7) Count Lajos Batthyány fought the noble fight. It is our duty to keep his faith, love of country, and courage in our hearts, to carry on his legacy in a worthy manner, and to hold him up as an example to our nation.
As László Teleki said in his memorial speech for the count: "A heroic martyr of a great and noble cause, who gave his soul back to God, but whose memory will live on forever in our hearts, will live on until the last Hungarian breaths his last breath."