In Hungary 2006 will be dedicated to prayer for the country’s spiritual renewal. The Hungarian Bishops’ Conference recently published a pastoral letter, inaugurating the year of prayer. Important anniversaries in Hungary occur in 2006: the 50th anniversary of the revolution in 1956 will be celebrated on 23 October. The 550th anniversary of the battle of Nándorfehérvár in 1456 will also be commemorated; this was when the Christian troops led by János Hunyadi and St. John Capistrano initially blocked the advance of the Turks. In their pastoral letter the bishops express concern about the situation of the nation: “Only God’s mercy can save us. We are oppressed by the tragedies and errors of previous centuries and decades, massacres and humiliations, mistrust and the tragic lack of solidarity”, all “injuries” that have caused grave tragedies in the country’s history. “The sin of despair and the temptation of resignation assail us. An attitude hostile to childbirth began here in Hungary, earlier than in other countries of the region”; indeed, as a result of the legalization of abortion, “6 million Hungarians were prevented from being born”. “After the failure of the revolution in 1956 many sought refuge in daily selfishness”, in a life “without goals”. After the fall of the regime, the bishops write, “a taste for freedom returned, but this time it has not yet led to the full justice that protects the weak”. Apart from economic difficulties, many people “lack a serene vision of life and prospects for the future. This too contributes to the declining birth rate, with the result that we are now faced by a demographic crisis”. “Jesus, by contrast, invites us not to resignation, but to hope”, say the Hungarian bishops, who exhort the faithful to pray for the spiritual renewal of the nation. A series of eucharistic adorations, pilgrimages, prayers and processions in the dioceses and communities will be organized to this end in 2006.
