logo
Hungary's Erdo: church law expert criticised for Orban links

Hungary's Erdo: church law expert criticised for Orban links

Yahoo04-05-2025

Long touted as a potential successor to Pope Francis, Hungary's conservative Cardinal Peter Erdo is a respected expert on canon law known for his openness toward other religions.
But he has faced criticism for his ties with the government of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose harsh views on migration clashed with those of the late Argentine pope.
A conservative on issues such as gay marriage, Erdo once told a congregation that "the Church must not get involved with problems of the given moment".
And after Francis's death on April 21, Erdo wrote on X that the Catholic Church "needs (to) stand firm on its doctrines".
If elected, the stern-faced 72-year-old would become the second pontiff to come from Europe's former Communist bloc after Poland's John Paul II.
In May 2023, during his visit to Hungary, Pope Francis expressed his esteem for Erdo and emphasised the importance of his role in the Church, even if the liberal pontiff and the cardinal did not share the same approach.
Zoltan Laky, a journalist at conservative Valasz Online, told AFP that Erdo took stances "closer to the doctrinally rigid wing of the Church" on marriage, celibacy, and same-sex blessings.
However, he said the cardinal was nonetheless "pragmatic and diplomatic".
- Ecclesiastical fast track -
Born in 1952 as the first of six children in a Catholic family in Budapest, Erdo has been on the ecclesiastical fast track his entire career.
He studied at the seminary of Esztergom, north of Budapest, and was ordained as a priest in 1975. His parents were fiercely anti-Communist Catholics under a Communist regime that frowned on religion.
After gaining a doctorate in theology, he moved to Rome in 1977 to obtain another doctorate, this time in canon, or church law, before returning to Hungary to teach theology at the Esztergom seminary.
He also lectured at universities around Europe and published numerous articles on canon law.
He became a bishop in 2000, was appointed archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest in 2002 and was created a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2003.
Aged just 51, he was Europe's youngest cardinal at the time.
A polyglot who speaks seven languages, Erdo was elected in 2006 as president of the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Europe and reelected in 2011, all when he was still in his 50s.
Known for his enthusiasm for evangelism, as well as his openness towards other religions, particularly the Jewish community in Hungary, he said at a Holocaust commemoration event in 2012 that "anti-Semitism has no place in Christianity".
Erdo has also spearheaded relations with the Orthodox churches and developed "city missions" in Budapest, encouraging lay people to visit homes to urge their neighbours to return to the Church.
In a 2012 interview, Erdo told a Hungarian newspaper: "The duty of cardinals is to represent faith, hope and love."
His theological expertise has gained him prominence within the Catholic Church worldwide and has been recognised with honorary doctorates from various prestigious universities.
- 'Servile silence' -
But the Hungarian Church's close ties to the government have come under scrutiny in recent years.
Catholic churches and church-run schools have received lavish state funding from nationalist Orban, who describes his government as "Christian conservative".
According to Erdo's critics, the largesse has bought Church silence on Orban's often hardline anti-migrant and anti-poor policies, such as a draconian asylum system and the criminalisation of homelessness.
Erdo's time has been "characterised by a servile silence, never confronting the increasingly dictatorial Orban regime", according to theologist Rita Perintfalvi.
"He is guilty because he never spoke out when the Hungarian government was violating fundamental human rights in a very blatant manner," she told AFP.
In 2015, when thousands of asylum seekers were entering Hungary daily, Erdo himself said hosting migrants could legally amount to "human-trafficking".
Erdo has also been criticised for his muted response to paedophilia accusations within the Hungarian Church.
Under Erdo's watch, the number of self-professed Catholics in Hungary has almost halved over two decades to 2.9 million in 2022, census data shows.
pmu-mg-ros/jza/ar/jj/tc

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Most-Followed TikToker Khaby Lame Detained, Released by ICE Over Visa Issue
Most-Followed TikToker Khaby Lame Detained, Released by ICE Over Visa Issue

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Most-Followed TikToker Khaby Lame Detained, Released by ICE Over Visa Issue

Khaby Lame, the most-followed TikToker in the world, was detained and released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 6. On Monday, an ICE spokesperson confirmed that the Italian-Senegalese star had been detained at Las Vegas airport for alleged immigration violations. According to ICE, the 25-year-old TikToker, whose real name is Seringe Khabane Lame, had 'overstayed the terms of his visa' and was later granted voluntary departure. More from Rolling Stone Trump Continues Inflaming L.A. Protests: 'BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!' Republicans Say They're Cool With Trump Deploying Troops Against Protesters Trump's Response to L.A. Protests: What We Know 'U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, June 6, at the Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, for immigration violations,' an ICE spokesperson said in a statement. 'Lame entered the United States [on] April 30 and overstayed the terms of his visa.' According to ICE, Lame has since left the country. The influencer shared a photo of himself in São Paulo, Brazil, on Monday morning. A rep for Lame did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone's request for comment. The detainment of Lame comes as the Trump administration called for the military to be deployed against anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. The protests, which began in response to raids on Friday, escalated over the weekend after Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard troops into the city. Gov. Gavin Newsom requested on Sunday that Trump revoke his federalization of the National Guard and withdraw them from the city. 'The decision to deploy the National Guard, without appropriate training or orders, risks seriously escalating the situation,' he wrote. 'There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation.' Lame's detainment also comes as numerous artists and celebrities have faced visa issues under the Trump administration, including Grupo Firme and Julión Álvarez. Best of Rolling Stone Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best The United States of Weed Gaming Levels Up

Liberals, anti-Trump figures bash ABC for suspending Terry Moran over social media rant
Liberals, anti-Trump figures bash ABC for suspending Terry Moran over social media rant

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Liberals, anti-Trump figures bash ABC for suspending Terry Moran over social media rant

Liberal pundits and anti-Trump figures slammed ABC News for suspending longtime correspondent Terry Moran after he ranted on social media about President Donald Trump and Stephen Miller. "They can clutch their pearls and act mad but this is spot on from Moran," Tommy Vietor, a co-host of "Pod Save America," wrote, reacting to Moran's deleted social media post that referred to both men as "world-class hater[s]." Moran called out Trump and Miller on social media early Sunday morning and proceeded to delete the post. An ABC News spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement that Moran was suspended, saying, "The post does not reflect the views of ABC News and violated our standards." Abc News' Terry Moran's History Of Attacking Trump Dates Back To First Term In 2017 "MAGA, I thought you all defended free speech and the First Amendment, right? Why are you so upset about Terry Moran's comments? Stop being such snowflakes, right? Stop looking for safe spaces. Man up," posted left-wing writer Wajahat Ali, who edits "The Left Hook" Substack. Joe Walsh, a former GOP congressman who joined the Democratic Party this year, said, "shame on you, @abcnews." Read On The Fox News App "Way to NOT stand up for a free press," he added. In another post on X, Walsh called the suspension of Moran "utter b-------," and said, "You're the free press. You don't do what the authoritarian in the White House tells you to do. Thank you @TerryMoran for having the courage to speak the truth." "What Moran reported was demonstrable fact. Indisputable fact. Yet they suspend him. This is the advantage that Trump and his ilk have. They are so beyond the moral pale, so beyond normality, that it is considered impolite, impolitic, or intemperate to describe them as they are," Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway wrote. Abc's Terry Moran Panned For Suggesting Gop Would End Filibuster 'In A Heartbeat' After Refraining Under Trump Medhi Hasan, a former MSNBC host who started his own publication, Zeteo, directed his criticism at the Trump officials who defended the president and Miller. "Snowflakes. Pretend free speech warriors. Getting journalists suspended and calling for their firing. Hypocrites," Hasan wrote. Hasan also posted on Bluesky that Moran's suspension was "'ironic given Moran went out of his way to not embarrass Trump over the president's delusion about the doctored MS13 photo, repeatedly saying 'let's agree to disagree' and 'let's move on' but they still got him suspended. You can't appease these people ever." Moran interviewed Trump about his first 100 days in office, during which Trump repeatedly called out Moran and ABC News. Trump accused Moran of "not being very nice" during an exchange about the deportation of illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia. "They're giving you the big break of a lifetime," Trump told Moran. "You're doing the interview, I picked you because, frankly, I never heard of you, but that's OK. I picked you, Terry, but you're not being very nice." Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Far-left former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann re-posted Moran's attacks on Miller and Trump, and called out Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, which owns ABC News. "Another coward named @RobertIger responded by letting ABC News suspend Terry indefinitely for telling the truth," Olbermann wrote. "I have copied Terry's words here and I encourage everybody, journalists especially, to do the same, or cut and paste what I've written, and put it out under your name." Others also called on their followers to share Moran's deleted post. Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch, a liberal website, said Moran's suspension was a product of corporate journalism. "Independent journalism is when you can write what Terry Moran wrote without getting in trouble. Corporate journalism is when you can't," he wrote. ABC News did not immediately return a request for comment. Moran's suspension for airing his thoughts comes as public trust in the media continues to steadily erode. A Gallup survey last year showed a record-low 31 percent of Americans expressed at least a "fair amount" of trust in the media to accurately report the news. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Moran's post on X, Sunday, calling it "unhinged and unacceptable."Original article source: Liberals, anti-Trump figures bash ABC for suspending Terry Moran over social media rant

‘He knows where to find me,' Newsom responds to Trump administration arrest threat
‘He knows where to find me,' Newsom responds to Trump administration arrest threat

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

‘He knows where to find me,' Newsom responds to Trump administration arrest threat

(KTLA) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to threats over the weekend by the Trump administration that he could be arrested if he interferes with ICE arrests of undocumented immigrants. 'He's a tough guy, why doesn't he do that? He knows where to find me,' Newsom said during an interview with MSNBC News on Sunday. Newsom plans to file lawsuit against Trump over National Guard deployment to protests The governor also issued some strong statements toward the president and his administration's crackdown on immigration. 'But, you know what? Lay your hands off 4-year-old girls that are trying to get educated. Lay your hands off these poor people that are just trying to live their lives, man. Trying to live their lives, paying their taxes … been here 10 years,' Newsom said. The governor's comments come in response to threats by President Donald Trump's 'border czar,' Tom Homan, to arrest anyone who obstructs the immigration enforcement effort, including Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, NBC News reported. 'I'll say about anybody,' Homan told the television network. 'You cross that line, it's a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It's a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.' For her part, Bass said Homan's comments were unnecessary. 'I spoke to him last night. He understands that I am the mayor of the city; the last thing in the world I'm going to do is get into a brawl with the federal government. So that just made no sense. There was no reason for that comment,' she told NBC News. Newsom pleads with U.S. Defense Department to 'rescind' National Guard Newsom and other Democratic leaders have criticized Trump's use of the National Guard in trying to quell anti-ICE immigration protests that turned violent in Los Angeles over the weekend, saying the escalation in force will only lead to further trouble. Newsom also announced plans to sue the Trump administration over the deployment. Meanwhile, Trump has indicated he would be willing to bring in the U.S. Marines if he felt the situation called for it. Trump also backed up Homan's warning to officials, saying they will 'face judges' if they stand in the way. 'Who the hell is this guy? Come after me, arrest me, let's just get it over with, tough guy,' Newsom responded. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store