Hungary Stands with Today’s Christian Martyrs, Says State Secretary

Pope Leo XIV

“Let us talk about today’s Christian martyrs!” – with this appeal, Tristan Azbej, the State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians, drew attention on Sunday to the ecumenical ceremony in Rome where Pope Leo XIV, elected earlier this year, honored the martyrs of the 21st century on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Tristan Azbej wrote on his Facebook page: “The attacks of recent weeks, the persecution of believers in Africa and Asia, and the example of Mária Magdolna Bódi, who was beatified a few days ago, remind us that the stories of Christian martyrdom are not only found in the pages of history books—they are also a reality of our time.”

“This is why we feel close to the fate of Christians who are still being persecuted in many parts of the world today,” he added.

He said that during Sunday’s prayer service in Rome, 1,600 names were read out from among the thousands of modern-day martyrs.

We Hungarians cannot remain indifferent to these names. In fact, we can say that we have also provided assistance to their communities—and in many cases to their bereaved family members—through the Hungary Helps Program,”

the state secretary emphasized.

With the help of the Hungary Helps program, they offered assistance to the families of 21 Coptic martyrs killed in Libya to secure their livelihoods, provided emergency aid in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Nigeria after attacks on churches, and most recently visited Christians in Makurdi, Nigeria, who had suffered attacks by extremists.

Tristan Azbej announced that new programs would be launched in the fall to help persecuted Christians.

In the coming weeks, we will be helping Syrian Christians with food parcels, supporting the reconstruction of a damaged Protestant church, the creation of a church community space in Iraq, and medical missions and the drilling of drinking water wells in Africa,”

he said.

He wrote that the Hungary Helps program is a tangible sign of Hungarian solidarity with persecuted Christians.

“For us Hungarians, the memory of the martyrs is not merely history, but a living responsibility: we honor them with prayer and show through our actions that those who suffer are not alone,” the state secretary concluded.

Via MTI; Featured photo: Hungary Helps 

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