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                                  VIS-Press releases   
      
   HUNGARY: MEDIATOR BETWEEN EAST AND WEST   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 2 DEC 2010 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI   
   received the Letters of Credence of Gabor Gyorivanyi, the new Hungarian   
   ambassador to the Holy See.   
      
   Speaking to the diplomat in German, the Pope observed that, following the   
   resumption of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of   
   Hungary in 1990, "new confidence emerged in active and constructive dialogue   
   with the Catholic Church". He also spoke of his hope "that the profound wounds   
   inflicted by the materialistic vision of man which seized the hearts of your   
   country's citizens for nearly forty-five years, may continue to heal in a   
   climate of peace, freedom and respect for man's dignity.   
      
   "Without doubt the Catholic faith is one of the fundamental pillars of   
   Hungarian history", the Holy Father added. "When, long ago in the year 1000,   
   the young Hungarian Prince Stephen received the regal crown sent to him by Pope   
   Sylvester II, this gift included the mandate to give faith in Jesus Christ a   
   space and a home in that land. ... Of course we do not expect the State to   
   impose a particular religion; rather, it should guarantee the freedom to   
   confess and practice the faith. Nonetheless, politics and Christian faith do   
   meet. ... This does nor mean imposing norms or codes of behaviour upon people   
   who do not share the faith. It means, quite simply, purifying reason with the   
   aim of helping to ensure that what is good and just may be recognised and put   
   into practice, here and now".   
      
   The Pope then went on to refer to the important role played by Hungary   
   following the fall of the Iron Curtain, to its entry into the European Union   
   six years ago, and to its forthcoming presidency of the Council of Europe.   
   "Hungary", he said, "is particularly called to act as mediator between East and   
   West. The Holy Crown, the legacy of King Stephen, by uniting the circular   
   'corona graeca' with the arched 'corona latina', ... shows how East and West   
   must support and enrich one another on the basis of their spiritual and   
   cultural heritage, and on the living profession of faith".   
      
   Speaking them of the project for a new Hungarian constitution, the Pope   
   expressed the hope "that it will be inspired by Christian values, especially as   
   concerns the position of marriage and the family within society, and the   
   protection of life".   
      
   He went on: "Marriage and the family constitute an essential foundation for the   
   healthy development of civil society, of countries and of peoples. ... Europe   
   would not be Europe if this basic social building block disappeared or was   
   substantially transformed. ... The Church cannot approve legislative   
   initiatives which involve the acceptance of alternative models of marriage and   
   family life, as these would contribute to weakening the principles of natural   
   law and thus to relativising legislation and society's understanding of   
   values".   
      
   Finally Benedict XVI highlighted how the Catholic Church, "like other religious   
   communities, plays a significant role in Hungarian society ... through her   
   institutions in the field of education, culture, and social assistance, in this   
   way she makes a useful contribution to the moral edification of your country.   
   ... May the collaboration between the State and the Catholic Church in this   
   field grow in the future and bring benefit to everyone".   
   CD/VIS 20101202 (560)   
      
   SUMMARY   
      
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    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS= bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)