Retired Hungarian archbishop says Mass at far-right event

Mi Hazánk is known for its militantly antisemitic and anti-Roma messaging. Although the party describes itself as a ‘third way’, it is generally classified by experts as extreme-right or neo-fascist.

The former Archbishop of Veszprém celebrated Mass at a public gathering of an Hungarian far-right party.

Archbishop Emeritus Gyula Márfi, 81, attended the outdoor event held by Mi Hazánk Mozgalom (“Our Homeland Movement”) on 4 June on Ság Mountain in north-western Hungary, commemorating the anniversary of Hungary’s division under the Treaty of Trianon in 1920 after the country’s defeat in the First World War. 

Hungarian nationalist discourse frequently employs the term “Hungarian Golgotha” to describe the 1920 settlement, under which Hungary lost two-thirds of its historic territory and a third of its ethnic Hungarian population. That usage is one part of an extensive visual tradition of associating the peace treaty with the sufferings of Christ’s passion. 

The flyer for last Wednesday’s event said the Mass would take place at the largest memorial cross in Hungary set-up to commemorate the Trianon settlement, erected by public subscription in 1934. It also shows Márfi alongside the leader of Mi Hazánk’s local chapter in Vas County, Ferenc Dala, and the party’s national president, László Toroczkai MP. The two politicians addressed the gathering before and after the Mass. 

Mi Hazánk was formed in 2018 as a breakaway from the Jobbik party, after the former extremist party began efforts to moderate its position. Mi Hazánk is known for its militantly antisemitic and anti-Roma messaging. Although the party describes itself as a “third way”, it is generally classified by experts as extreme-right or neo-fascist. In 2019-20 it briefly operated its own paramilitary wing. In 2022 the party came third in Hungary’s parliamentary election, securing 5.9 per cent of the popular vote and gaining six MPs.

Pictures of the event posted on social media on 6 June showed Márfi celebrating Mass at the event assisted by a younger priest (who was not identified) and receiving a gift after mass from Ferenc Dala. The post gave no indication of the size of the gathering but noted that participants came not only from Vas County but also from other parts of Hungary. 

Márfi was Archbishop of Veszprém from 1997 until his retirement in 2019. Previously he has publicly referenced conspiracy theories involving the Hungarian-born Jewish philanthropist George Soros. 

Neither the apostolic nunciature in Budapest nor the secretariat of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference responded to The Tablet’s requests for comment.

View from Budapest

Hungary and the Vatican – a very uneasy alliance

Stay updated — add us as a preferred news source on Google: