Cardinal Erdo: St. Stephen built his country, life on rock of Christ

Saint Stephen, Hungary's first Christian king, built his country and his life "on the rock that is Christ", Cardinal Peter Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, said in a mass delivered at St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest on Thursday, marking the August 20 national holiday. "When we celebrate King Saint Stephen it is not just the past that we commemorate," the cardinal said. "We also give thanks to God for the survival of Stephen's people and ask that we may continue our journey with renewed strength and hope." The mass, normally held on the square in front of the Basilica with tens of thousands of pilgrims present, was limited to the inside of the church this year due to restrictions on mass gatherings imposed because of the novel coronavirus epidemic. The service was attended by President Janos Ader and Prime Minister Viktor Orban.