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New York Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Cardinal Erdo of Hungary Is a Favorite of Conservatives to Become Pope
When more than a million refugees and economic migrants poured into Europe a decade ago, Pope Francis urged compassion and, in a display of empathy and support, washed the feet of 12 asylum seekers at an Italian reception center. Cardinal Peter Erdo, the Hungarian archbishop considered a contender to succeed Francis, took a different approach: Citing legal obstacles, he ordered church doors in Hungary closed to migrants, saying that 'we would become human smugglers if we took in refugees.' He reversed his position after an audience with Francis, and he never embraced the inflammatory messaging on migrants of Hungary's populist prime minister, Viktor Orban. But the episode appalled liberals and pleased conservatives wary of the pope's welcoming ways. And it helped establish Cardinal Erdo, the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, as a standard-bearer for forces within the Roman Catholic Church that want to reverse what they see as Francis' overemphasis on emotional gestures at the expense of rules and doctrine. Multilingual and an authority on canon law, Cardinal Erdo has written extensively on arcane aspects of the church's legal system and devoted much of his career to scholarship. Apart from a two-year stint as a parish priest after his ordination in 1975, he has had little direct experience dealing with the day-to-day problems of churchgoers. That could work against him as the church faces the challenge of reversing a steady drift toward secularism across Europe. 'He is a lawyer, not a pastor,' said Istvan Gegeny, the president of the Szemlelek Foundation, a Hungarian group that runs a Catholic news portal. 'Intellectually, he is a genius who can think about five different things at the same time,' he said, 'but he has never been close to people. He relates to them in a formal way, not emotionally.' Cardinal Erdo has also developed ties to many of the cardinals who will choose the next pope. He is a familiar figure among Catholic leaders in the West, who constitute a powerful, though divided, voting bloc in the conclave, having served from 2006 to 2016 as president of the Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe. He has also built bridges with Catholic leaders in Latin America and Africa. Like Pope John Paul II of Poland, who became the first pontiff from Eastern Europe in 1978, Cardinal Erdo, 72, entered the priesthood during communist rule of his home country. It was a time of forced compromises that left a deep mark on his outlook. Some conservatives support Cardinal Erdo in the belief he would return the church to the time of John Paul and his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, a theologian of deep scholarship and sometime dogmatic views, and put an end to Francis' progressive ideas. But Hungarians who have worked with him say he is less doctrinaire than some fans believe. 'He is a liberal conservative,' said Tibor Gorfol, the editor of Vigilia, the Hungarian church's official journal. 'He is not a real hard-liner' and 'never directly criticized Pope Francis,' he said. Cardinal Erdo supported the reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, which sought to modernize the language used by the church in services, among other changes. But he has spoken out against allowing divorced Catholics to receive communion and against priests blessing gay couples. In a 2019 interview with Robert Moynihan, the editor in chief of Inside the Vatican magazine, Cardinal Erdo spoke of a need to 'guard the flame' of traditional Christian faith in an increasingly secular world. In Hungary, however, Cardinal Erdo has had no success in slowing a rising secular tide. Appointed archbishop in 2002 by John Paul, Cardinal Erdo was in charge during a decline in the number of Hungarians who declare themselves Roman Catholics. Between 2011 and 2022, according to official census results, the number fell by more than a million to 2.6 million. That jolted the Hungarian church and Mr. Orban, who trumpets Hungary as a bastion of Christian values. Cardinal Erdo has generally avoided intervening in Hungary's polarized politics but stirred outrage in 2023 by attending a picnic held by senior figures in the governing Fidesz party. He also dismayed liberal-minded Hungarian Catholics by failing to defend Francis against a campaign of abuse by Fidesz during Europe's migration crisis. Peter Marki-Zay, a churchgoing Catholic mayor who led a failed opposition campaign against Mr. Orban in a 2022 election, described Cardinal Erdo as a 'typical communist era bishop in Hungary' who 'won't take a stand on anything.' Hungarian Catholics who have worked with him say that silence reflected his cautious personality and a desire to avoid antagonizing a government that has lavished funding on the church. Cardinal Erdo also initially stayed quiet in response to allegations of sexual abuse against a Catholic priest made by a man who said in 2003 that he had been molested as a child. Cardinal Erdo later suspended the priest. 'Silence is unfortunately the main strategy of the Hungarian Catholic Church' under Cardinal Erdo, said Mr. Gorfol, the editor. A spokesman for Cardinal Erdo did not respond to a request for comment.
The Guardian
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Péter Erdő is a strong candidate to be the next pope – and that's reason to be fearful
Who might be the next pope? The question is famously difficult to answer. But we can be reasonably confident that if the successful contender comes from the traditionalist camp – as opposed to the reformists – then he is likely to be Hungary's most senior bishop, Péter Erdő. If you follow Hungarian politics then you will know of Erdő – a highly cultured man, respected for his broad learning well beyond his specialism in church law. His expertise has made him a valued consultant to Vatican bodies, while his sermons and interviews abound with historical and literary references. Yet he's also a remote figure, lacking the common touch that defined Francis's papacy; ascetic-looking, he's rarely pictured smiling. His links to his country's far-right Fidesz government should, however, warn us about the risks of his possible election. Erdő has been archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and a cardinal since 2003. He first developed an international profile by leading the Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe, the representative body for Europe's Catholic bishops. Latterly, he's gained a stronger standing outside Europe, especially among traditionally minded African and American bishops. This builds on his role as rapporteur for the global Synod on the Family (2014-15), convoked by Pope Francis to reflect on the church's pastoral teaching in the light of changing social conditions. During the synod he resisted moves towards a more inclusive approach to LGBTQ+ and divorced Catholics: 'The current tendency to pass off those things which are simply desires, often selfish ones, as true and proper rights … must be avoided,' he told delegates in a keynote speech. Vatican-watchers differ on the viability of his candidacy. Conservatives certainly like him. Erdő, however, has been spoken of as a contender before, in 2013, ahead of the conclave that elected Pope Francis. On that occasion he was eliminated early, leaving some commentators sceptical of his present candidacy. Yet there are important differences between then and now. In February 2013, Erdő was 60, generally reckoned too young for the job. Today, at 72, he's in the 'sweet spot', able to offer the church a decade or more of stable governance without risking the stasis of a generational papacy such as John Paul II's (1978-2005). Erdő could also ride a wave of traditionalist pushback against Francis's reforms – just as Francis did with a progressive reaction to Benedict XVI's pontificate (2005-2013). Nevertheless, despite his conservative views, Erdő's use of cautious and moderate language makes him notably less controversial than two other leading traditionalists, such as Robert Sarah. He can thus position himself as a compromise candidate: 'He is conservative but not reactionary, and comes across as both pragmatic and diplomatic,' notes the Hungarian Catholic journalist Zoltán Laky. It would, however, be a mistake to be swayed by Erdő's apparent moderation. Although not as intimate with Hungary's far-right premier, Viktor Orbán, as some other bishops, Erdő has nonetheless cultivated a close partnership with the governing Fidesz party since 2010. Generous subsidies for the church have been a plank of Fidesz's policy. One (now-ex) cleric from Erdő's diocese who became known for expressing dissenting views, András Hodász, claimed that 'I was confronted from above' and told 'not to say such things because the church would not get [financial] support'. In September 2023, Erdő was seen by many to cross a line by attending the annual Kötcse picnic, a high-profile but exclusive event for Fidesz insiders during which Orbán gives a confidential briefing about the party's policy direction in the coming year. During the migration crisis in the mid-2010s, Erdő declined to criticise Fidesz's hate campaign against migrants. In 2017, he abruptly terminated a live TV interview when asked if the government's vilification of asylum-seekers was compatible with Catholic teaching on compassion for such people. He has also been mute in the face of the de facto criminalisation of homelessness in Hungary in 2018, and the introduction of Russian-style legislation stigmatising the LGBTQ+ community in 2021. Potentially more troubling than Erdő's silences about public issues are signs of past mishandling of allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy, most particularly the case of abuse survivor Attila Pető. Pető's complaint led to the unfrocking of a priest who had abused dozens of children. His demands for an apology from the church were, however, met by legal action from diocesan officials. Last month, Snap (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) lodged a complaint with the Vatican alleging that Erdő's conduct in the matter had 'harmed the vulnerable and caused scandal' in breach of the church's own legal code. Cardinal Erdő's office did not reply to an approach for comment for this article. Previously, in a 2021 interview with Válasz Online, he distanced himself from the legal action against Pető, saying that it was a private matter for the diocesan officials concerned. 'We even owe this man a debt of gratitude,' he added. In March 2025, a diocesan spokesperson responded to the Snap complaint by telling the Hungarian outlet Telex that the diocese believed its handling of the matter to have been timely and appropriate. Erdő's possible ascent to the papal throne would be bad news for LGBTQ+ Catholics, and those who have remarried after divorce. It should, however, also worry abuse survivors and anyone concerned with the integrity of Christianity's presence in public life. The church has a duty to challenge those in power when they exceed their proper authority or weaponise appeals to 'Christian identity' for political ends. This is a task in which, as Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Péter Erdő has failed miserably: there's little reason to think that as pope he'd do any better. Alex Faludy is a British-Hungarian freelance journalist based in Budapest, specialising in religious affairs
