The Cardinal who may well become Pope

Primate-Cardinal Erdö: Man of the sober word

Whenever there is speculation about possible future Popes, his name is always mentioned: Budapest Archbishop Cardinal Péter Erdö is one of the most prominent church representatives in Central and Eastern Europe.

He is one of the most prominent representatives of the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, and when it comes to possible future popes, his name is always mentioned: Cardinal Péter Erdö. At the end of April, the Hungarian Primate, who was also President of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) from 2006 to 2016, will once again be able to welcome Pope Francis to his Episcopal city of Budapest.

For two decades now, the 70-year-old Erdö has been at the head of the Hungarian capital diocese with its double seats in Budapest and Esztergom (Gran), formerly the metropolis of the Kingdom of Hungary.

As an intellectually and theologically well-versed lawyer and canon lawyer, Erdö brings with him a clear understanding of structures as well as political calculation. The Concordat between post-communist Hungary and the Holy See, which today again enables the Church to be broadly involved in education and social affairs, also bears his signature.

In terms of church politics and theology, Erdö is considered a "Ratzingerian" with regard to the work of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI. The linguistically gifted cardinal is above all a man of words and science, not of the great public. Nevertheless, he has spoken out on numerous socially and ecclesiastically relevant issues in his posts: Post-communism, greed, sects and xenophobia. Using Christianity as an exclusionary, negative identity marker is not something Erdö is comfortable with. "Christianity never defines what I am not. It means that I belong to Christ," he once emphasised in an interview.

The Cardinal speaks straightforwardly about the society of his Hungarian homeland: Communism had "wiped out civic decency"; voluntary compliance with legal norms was very low. Today, people can be manipulated much more by images and electronic media than by a party programme or a well thought-out speech.

Erdö attests Hungary "more religious dryness" than in other formerly socialist states of Central Europe. Accordingly, the cardinal repeatedly emphasises the importance of Christianity as a lived religion.

Restrained on day-to-day politics

On the other hand, the Archbishop of Budapest is rather silent on day-to-day politics - and if he is, then it is important to read between the lines of his public speeches. For example, Erdö reflected on the priestly profession at an ordination last year, saying: "We are often asked in a provocative way what we think about every topic of everyday life, politics or the economy, or why we don't speak up. But among the many beautiful and important vocations, the proclamation of the Gospel stands out."

Born in Budapest on 25 June 1952, the first of six children, Erdö studied law and theology in Budapest and Rome during the Communist era. A career as a lawyer was denied him as a member of a family known to be religious. In 1975 he was ordained a priest.

In the 1980s Erdö taught theology in Esztergom and at the Pontifical Gregorian University. After the fall of communism, he became Dean and later Rector at the Catholic Péter Pázmány University in Budapest, which he played a major role in rebuilding 30 years ago and which is also on the Pope's programme of visits.

In 1999, Erdö became Auxiliary Bishop in Székesfehérvár (See of Weissenburg) and three years later, at the age of only 50, he surprisingly became Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and Primate of Hungary. In the same year, John Paul II accepted him into the College of Cardinals as the youngest member at the time. From 2005 to 2015, Erdö led the national bishops' conference as president.

At the Vatican, the Cardinal has held a variety of functions, including being a judge at the highest court, a member of the Congregation for Education and the Congregation for Divine Worship, and on the Pontifical Council for Culture. In 2014/15 he was general rector of the World Synods of Bishops on Marriage and the Family.

Erdö's father was a Catholic Hungarian from Transylvania, which is now Romanian, Orthodox and Protestant; his mother came from what is now the borderland with Slovakia. Even today it is stupid to ask an Eastern European about his nationality, says Erdö - because for centuries it was common practice there to marry across ethnic borders. Today, too, it is important to live and think across borders.

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