Hungarian cardinal from 'the heart of Europe' shows decades of leadership

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Although not a familiar name in the U.S. press, Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest, 72, is a major figure among his peers in Europe, the church's traditional heartland and the region of about 38.5% of the cardinal electors.

He is the youngest of the five electors who were named a cardinal by St. John Paul II and, as such, took part in the conclaves of 2005 and 2013. In fact, he was the youngest cardinal to take part in the conclave in 2005, and after the election of Pope Benedict XVI, his name often appeared in media prognoses of "papabile."

A canon lawyer and historian of church law, he was elected president of the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Europe at the age of 54 and was re-elected for a second five-year term in 2011, coordinating common projects on the continent as well as European church support for Catholic communities in the developing world.

Pope Francis chose Budapest to be the host city of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, which he and another 250,000 to 300,000 people attended as it was held between waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. It gave Cardinal Erdo an opportunity to showcase the "heart of Europe," the approach of renewal rooted in tradition and the importance of and progress made in ecumenism and dialogue between East and West.

Together with Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Hilarion, then-head of external church relations for the Russian church, the cardinal initiated the establishment of the European Orthodox-Catholic Forum, which, since 2008, has discussed major issues of common concern.

Except for the meetings cardinals have immediately before a conclave, synods are arguably the best opportunity for cardinals to meet and get to know each other. And, except for the synod on synodality's assemblies in 2023 and 2024, Cardinal Erdo has taken part in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops since 2003.

He served as the relator general of the two synods on the family in 2014 and 2015, meaning he had the task of guiding the discussion and synthesizing its results. In his introductory speech to the synod members looking at challenges to the family and marriage, he highlighted how "migratory movement is disintegrating families or at least makes it difficult to form them" and how low pay "does not make it feasible to care for a family."

The need for "the so-called mobility of the workforce," he said, also "seems to be one of the factors which drive persons to individualistic attitudes and tendencies."

"The current tendency to pass off those things which are simply desires, often selfish ones, as true and proper rights, while denying the basic objective of all law, must be avoided," he said.

The church community also should "pay realistic and merciful attention to the faithful who cohabit or who live in civil marriage only because they do not feel prepared to celebrate the sacrament," the cardinal said. If the church is able to welcome people in those situations and clearly explain "the truth about marriage, it will help these faithful to arrive at a decision for sacramental marriage."

Immigration has been another topic of concern for the cardinal.

In a book length interview titled "La Fiamma della Fede" ("The Flame of Faith") published in 2015 by the Vatican publishing house, the cardinal spoke about Europe having been able to integrate "millions of people from other continents, and whether they are Muslim or not, believers or nonbelievers is not the most important matter."

"Integration of immigrants involves first and foremost compliance with the laws of the country where one arrives and respect for institutions," he said. "We should not expect more than that, nor should we pursue the aim of total assimilation, because each individual, indeed each community has the right to preserve its culture, its religion, its language."

As far as the flux of migrants goes, he said that "it is obvious that everyone has the sacred right to try to survive in situations of famine, civil war and threats to life. But then you cannot force the Europeans to allow entrance -- even illegally and without any control -- to the entire world into their countries, because doing so would break down public order, something that is very attractive to those living in chaos."

"We must therefore find the truth in this situation, looking for the true balance precisely in the key of solidarity and mercy," he said.

Born June 25, 1952, in Budapest, Peter Erdo was ordained a priest in 1975 and studied canon law in Budapest and Rome. He became an associate professor at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University in 1986. In 1995 and in 1996, he won research grants to study at the University of California, Berkeley. From 1998 to 2003, he served as a rector of Hungary's Catholic university.

He was ordained a bishop and served as auxiliary bishop of Székesfehérvár in 2000, before being appointed to Esztergom-Budapest, in December 2002.

At his January 2003 installation, Cardinal-designate Erdo said his priorities would be fostering Christian unity and "helping build true peace in the church and entire nation."

"I wish to contribute to the strengthening of religious and spiritual life in the face of new challenges and problems that the church in Hungary now faces," he said.

Leading the archdiocese for the past 22 years, the cardinal also served as president of the Hungarian bishops' conference for two terms from 2005 to 2015.

Pope Francis appointed him a member of the Council for the Economy in 2020 and he has been a member of the Vatican's Secretariat of State's section for relations with states and international organizations, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura and the dicasteries for the Eastern Churches; for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments; and for Legislative Texts.