Con
la festa liturgica di San Martino si sono chiuse in Ungheria le celebrazioni
dell’Anno giubilare dedicato al Santo nel XVII centenario della sua nascita. Il
10 novembre nel Palazzo del Parlamento si è tenuta una conferenza
storico-teologica, organizzata dalla Conferenza Episcopale Ungherese e dal
Governo ungherese, dedicata alla figura e all’eredità di San Martino di Tours.
Inaugurato con il discorso del Primate d’Ungheria, il Cardinale Péter Erdő, l’evento
è stato chiuso dal discorso del Primo Ministro d’Ungheria, Viktor Orbán, il
quale ha definito Martino “il santo patrono dell’economia sociale di mercato”.
Condividiamo prima
il riassunto in inglese del discorso del Primo Ministro e, sotto, la tradizione inglese del testo completo.
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| Il Primo Ministro Viktor Orbán alla conferenza San Martino nel Parlamento (foto: kormany.hu) |
St. Martin, the Patron Saint of the Social Market
Economy
Speaking in the Parliament Building on Thursday, at
the conference entitled “St. Martin and Europe”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
described St. Martin of Tours as “the patron saint of the social market
economy”. Mr. Orbán said that not only was the saint’s heart in the right
place, but he also possessed common sense: according to legend, when he was a
soldier he once cut his cloak into two and gave half to a beggar, thus ensuring
that both of them would be protected from the extreme cold.
In his closing speech at the ceremonial conference
jointly organised by the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the
Government – which itself brought to a close the Memorial Year of St. Martin –
Mr. Orbán said that social solidarity is not an abstract concept, but tangible
and rational behaviour. In his words, we must always help others – as far as
our own strength and potential allows – by giving those in need their necessary
and appropriate share. This is a joint mission, he added, in which the
Hungarian government can rely upon the Catholic Church as one of its principal
allies.
The Prime Minister went on to say that in St. Martin’s
practical act of compassion one can immediately see an impulse which gives
meaning to dry statements of revenue and expenditure. This, he said, is because
in order to give something to those who have nothing, we also need people who
have something to give. We therefore need committed people, businesses and a
government policy which show both heart and common sense. No matter “how
infinite our heart may be when we see the suffering of others, our capacities
will still have limits”, he added.
Mr. Orbán said that the imperative to exercise mercy
must never be equated with our own ruination: a small country must cut its coat
according to its cloth, or else it will only be a matter of time before its
economy collapses.
The Prime Minister also said that for Hungarians St.
Martin is not just one saint among many, but a person whose name became
synonymous with conversion to Christianity and establishment of the Hungarian
state. In the 21st century, Mr. Orbán said, the saint’s story is a touchstone
for us and an example to be followed which we should reflect on: “he sets an
example in the fight for faith, an example of humility in the exercise of
power, and an example of mercy in turning towards others” .
(Prime Minister's
Office/MTI)
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s speech at the conference
“Saint Martin and Europe” - 10 November 2016, Budapest
Your Excellencies, Bishop Veres,
Conference Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Honourable Mayor of Szombathely,
Thank you for the opportunity to hear
the thoughts of the professors and lecturers who have spoken before me. I respectfully
welcome you all – laity and clergy alike. It is good to see and hear that the
person and work of Saint Martin has attracted so many people here today from
such vastly diverse academic backgrounds. Here there are people of the spirit
and representatives of the sciences. So the question arises: what is the reason
of the presence of the Hungarian Prime Minister here, at this conference?
Dear Attendees,
I am here for three reasons. First of
all, because Bishop Veres invited me – and as you yourselves know all too well,
a bishop’s request is always a serious matter. The second reason I am here is
to express the Hungarian government’s gratitude and appreciation for the
service of the Catholic Church. We are proud of the values and traditions you
represent, and it fills us with joy that in many ways we can be each other’s
allies and fellow-workers. Finally, the third – and the main – reason I am here
is that I, too, should pay tribute to the memory of Saint Martin, who was born
in the city of Savaria in Pannonia 1,700 years ago, and whose spiritual legacy
indisputably forms an integral part of Hungarian culture. His place of birth
and the missionary work he performed here are proof that here we live in a
two-thousand-year-old Christian culture. One thousand one hundred years ago we
arrived in this cultural environment, and this is where we found our home. And
in these parts it was St. Martin who became one of the principal intermediaries
of this universal Western, Christian tradition and way of thinking. For us
Hungarians, therefore, he is not just one saint among many, but a person whose
name became synonymous with two momentous events in our history, which took
place at the same time: conversion to Christianity and the establishment of the
Hungarian state. It was in his honour that Grand Prince Géza established the Archabbey
of Pannonhalma; it was his name on the flag under which our first king led his
army to victory against the pagans; and probably because of this he is shown
wearing a Hungarian hussar’s pelisse in his equestrian statue in our coronation
church in Pozsony (Bratislava).
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The stories of the saints serve as
compass points helping us – including prime ministers – to find our way in the disorder
of everyday life. The story of Saint Martin gives us today, in the 21st
century, a touchstone, and an example to be followed which we should reflect on.
He sets an example in the battle for faith, an example of humility in the
exercise of power, and an example of mercy in turning towards others.
The first lesson for politicians is
that, even as a bishop, he remained a man of the people. What’s more, he did
not even aspire to the title of “bishop”. Not only did he not crave power, but
tradition has it that when his name was mentioned, he hid in a barn full of
geese; then he was elected Bishop of Tours in the most democratic manner, by public acclamation.
This is how the words of the Scriptures came to be fulfilled for him: “So it depends not upon a person's will or exertion, but upon God, who shows mercy” (Rom, 9,16). So this is the first lesson for
politicians.
The second way in which he can set us
an example – we heard the story earlier – is that, when serving in the Roman
army, he saw a man shivering in the cold by the roadside, cut his cloak in two
and gave half to the man. Many, including those who have spoken before me, interpret
this story in terms of mercy – and with good reason. A politician, however, may
also discover something else, something more. In the eyes of many of us today
this act also qualifies Saint Martin as the patron saint of the social market economy,
as it is in this act that one can immediately see a spirituality which gives
meaning to dry statements of revenue and expenditure. Because, Ladies and
Gentlemen, in order to be able to give something to those who have nothing, we
also need people who have something to give. We need committed people,
businesses and government policy which have both a heart and common sense. No
matter how infinite our heart may be when we see the suffering of others, our capacities
will still have limits. This is why Martin gave the beggar only a piece of his
cloak – a piece which was big enough for his needs. If my understanding is
correct, he gave him neither more nor less. Had he given away his entire cloak,
he would have frozen to death on the road, and we would have no one to talk about
today. The imperative to exercise mercy must never be equated with our own
ruination. In the same way, we say that a country can only “cut its coat
according to its cloth”. If we go beyond this – for whatever benevolent reason –
it is only a question of time before it ruins the entire nation, because the
economy will collapse. I believe that this is the message of Martin’s act for
us today, together with the second half of the great commandment which defines the
appreciation of ourselves as the basis for the love we must show to our
neighbours: let us help, but according to our strength and capacities; let us
help, but we should do so where the need arises, by always giving the needy their
necessary and appropriate share. We can proudly profess these thoughts as
deriving from the Christian roots and traditions of our policy. We can proudly
profess that, thanks to these, for us social solidarity is not an abstract
concept, but is tangible and rational behaviour. This is a joint mission in
which the Hungarian government can rely upon the Catholic Church, as one of its
principal allies. So let us be proud that we Christians have learnt about the
market economy not only from Adam Smith, but also from Saint Martin.
Honourable Conference,
This is what a head of government
inspired by Christianity can see from the teachings of Saint Martin. To this
day Saint Martin teaches us: the soldier teaches us, the missionary teaches us,
the hermit and the bishop teaches us, the patron saint of Hungarian kings and the
patron saint of Hungary teaches us. Our duty is to have the courage, like our forebears,
to take guidance from his life, to have the courage to approach him in faith,
in perseverance, in hope and in love, and also to have the courage to set his
life and his service as a model for generations to come. If we do this, we can
firmly stand our ground in attending to the tasks which Providence has allotted
to us all, each in our own sentry post.
Thank you for your attention.
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