Faith is most important thing in life, says cardinal who resisted onslaught of communism

ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 20, 2024 / 17:06 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Peter Erdö, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, said that faith is the most important thing in life, something he learned from his parents, most clearly during the years of communist rule in the European country.

In an interview with Vatican Radio and Vatican News in advance of the Aug. 20 feast of St. Stephen of Hungary, the cardinal recalled how he learned the faith from his parents.

“First of all, it was my parents, our family, because not only did we pray at home, talk about religious holidays, go to church together, but my dad also taught us catechesis,” the 72-year-old Hungarian cardinal related.

“And then we learned that my dad, having been a jurist, could not practice his profession because he was considered too religious. And my mom, who was a teacher, could not teach because she was considered too religious,” he continued. 

“Thus, we were seeing what is most important in life. Certainly faith came first. And so, this was not experienced in a tragic way by my parents but in a natural way, knowing that God is supreme and that religion is the most important thing in our life,” the archbishop emphasized.

After the Second World War, Hungary became part of the communist bloc led by the Soviet Union. In 1949, the Hungarian People’s Republic was established, a totalitarian system that also considered the Church as an enemy and which lasted until 1989: 50 years of communism in a country with deep Christian roots.

In the interview, Erdö also noted that “if faith is the most important thing in life, then serving the faith of others, passing on the faith, teaching the faith, and especially ministering at the liturgy are the greatest things in life.”

“The most important things one can do, and most useful, [are] also for the salvation of others. This is the main motivation that I felt even as a boy. And so, I gradually came to the decision to enter the seminary,” he said. Erdö was ordained a priest in 1975.

Prayer life

“My prayer life began when I was in high school. I always started the day with the Hymn of Charity from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians and ended the day praying the Te Deum. Already prayer gave a framework to my day,” the cardinal shared when asked how he is living this Year of Prayer in preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025.

“My spiritual father recommended that I meditate a little on holy Scripture, for no more than 10 minutes, always, every day, on a passage from the New Testament. That was also a great help to orient me in life,” he continued.

The prelate shared that in this Year of Prayer, “there are personal programs, common programs, in the diocese for the rosary, including every first Saturday at 10 o’clock in the morning. And there is a prayer, a rosary in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica, in the square, where people kneel and pray the rosary, which is a great testimony before the world,” he explained.

Speaking about St. Stephen, Erdö noted that the monarch “dedicated his crown and his country to Our Lady. Hungary was the first country that, according to tradition, was consecrated to Our Lady and, accordingly, Our Lady is also venerated in Hungary as the patron saint of our people and our country.”

“It is a joy to know that there are many other peoples who have also chosen the Virgin Mary as their patroness, because the same mother can have several children,” the cardinal noted.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.