Erdo advocates ‘peace with other people’

“Making peace requires sacrifices … but peace and harmony yield more benefits than what we give up through restricting our unbridled ambitions,” the cardinal said.

Concerning the war in Ukraine, Erdo said Hungarians had “felt and understood what they had to do: help those in the greatest need and those fleeing their country as much as possible and as it suits them most”.

Answering a question if the Vatican could help resolve the conflict, Erdo said the Holy See had played an important role in the settlement between Argentina and Chile in the 1970s. He also mentioned Pope Francis’s mediation which helped avoid a US attack on Syria over the latter country’s alleged resort to chemical weapons, in 2013. The Vatican “represents the opinion and wishes of many, which gives its actions so much strength that could bring the warring parties closer to each other,” he said.

On the subject of the pontiff’s upcoming visit to Hungary, Erdo said its programme, including meeting the poor, refugees, the homeless, and sick children, reflects that Francis “is in community with those suffering and children with multiple sicknesses are especially close to his heart”. He said the pope’s visiting Hungary was “a sign of appreciation for the Hungarian people”. While Francis has already visited Slovakia and Romania, his upcoming visit “will show that he loves these peoples equally”, Erdo said.

Cardinal holds Easter Sunday mass in Esztergom

The resurrected Christ greeted his disciples with the words “Peace be with you!” This peace is the all-encompassing order of God’s love, Cardinal Erdo said at a mass held on Easter Sunday in the Esztergom Basilica.

“In the light of the resurrection, there is no longer any irresolvable contradiction, no irreparable sin, no superfluous, insignificant person, community, people or family,” the cardinal said.

Cardinal Erdo called on the faithful to be companions of the disciples rejoicing in the faith of the resurrection on today’s Easter and to start a new life. “The life they started then, which is the life of the church, and which is the meeting with Jesus,” he said.