“We regard Churches, which are playing a significant role in the intellectual and spiritual renewal of our homeland, as natural allies. This is why we are assisting Churches to be able to perform their public duties and community-building services under the best possible conditions”, Minister of Finance Mihály Varga emphasised at the official inauguration of Nyíregyháza-Örökösföld church. The new church was constructed with the help of 450 million forints (EUR 1.25 million) in state funding.
Communities of the faithful that undertake the burdens of building a stone church are growing and gaining strength, and together with them churches are also being built and renovated”, Mr. Varga pointed out. “We regard our Christian culture as a resource that supports the nation, which is the foundation of our freedom, and which is also the source of our renewal”, he explained.
“Christian faith is particularly valuable in today’s Europe”, the Minister added, highlighting the fact that “the freedom of people and nations are inseparable, and the role of Christian faith and a Christian way of life in the future of our societies also cannot be called into question”. “Accordingly, it is the duty of the Government of Hungary to include these principles in its domestic politics and represent them on international forums”, the Minister stated.
“In the spring, when our lives were forced out of their usual routine, we were unexpectedly faced with how fragile human life is, and how vulnerable the European business environment also is”, Mr. Varga said, thanking Hungary’s Churches for the emotional assistance they provided during the state of emergency.
The construction of the new church in Nyíregyháza-Örökösföld was initiated by the local Calvinist community, and the investment of some 700 million forints (EUR 1.95 million) received funding from both the Synod of the Hungarian Reformed Church and the Hungarian government.