Hungarian Catholics voiced concerns about the country’s future on April 9 as the nation approached its parliamentary elections, following a tense campaign and amid silence from Church leaders.
The issue is significant for many Hungarian Catholics who feel caught between political pressures and their faith, with some expressing unease about how closely religion and politics have become linked in recent years.
Tibor Görföl, editor of Hungary’s Catholic Vigilia monthly, said, “Both the Catholic and reformed churches have claimed complete neutrality — however, given their political entanglements, no one has taken this seriously.” Görföl added, “If you’re a Catholic and you don’t fully back the government, it’s seen as grave disloyalty. This is why we face serious problems here.”
As Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces challenger Péter Magyar in an election that could end Fidesz’s long rule, debate continues over how both parties relate to Christian values. An early April report by Hungary’s Christian Axioma Center stated that Fidesz had followed Christian values more closely than Magyar’s Tisza party on social issues such as abortion and marriage. However, Görföl said Fidesz had used AI-generated videos to “spread fear and anxiety,” making it difficult for people to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Other Catholic voices echoed these concerns. András Máté-Tóth of Szeged University said the campaign was “full of hatred and misrepresentation” but noted signs of growing resistance among Catholics to divisive politics. He explained that while Orbán has tried to portray opponents as anti-Christian, Magyar has promised churches greater autonomy if elected: “Far from instrumentalizing them, he’s promised they’ll be able to work autonomously… Although not a practicing Catholic, he’s closer to Catholic social teaching than Orbán,” Máté-Tóth said.
The Hungarian bishops pledged last October not to take part in the election campaign due to increasingly crude public discourse. Their spring plenary meeting did not mention the ballot or address it in Easter messages. Meanwhile, Bishop Asztrik Varseghi criticized Fidesz’s tactics; Military Bishop Tibor Berta declined a government honor citing concerns over church-state boundaries; Archabbot Cirill Hortobágyi warned against methods used “to discredit…political opponents,” saying Christians should not view others as enemies.
The Association of Christian Intellectuals urged voters not to idolize politics but keep Christ at the center when evaluating candidates. Looking ahead for Hungarian Catholics after the vote concludes April 12th remains uncertain: Görföl observed there is little space within church culture for open discussion or disagreement on public matters.
Máté-Tóth suggested that official silence during this campaign may itself signal criticism toward current leadership: “Change is never rapid or total in the Church… But the silence of Catholic bishops and priests…carries its own significance.”
