Prime Minister Viktor Orbán paid tribute to Father Henri Boulad as true defender of Christianity

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán offered his condolences in a message to the prefect of the Jesuit community in Egypt in connection with the death of theologian Father Henri Boulad who was also a Hungarian national, Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s press chief informed the Hungarian news agency MTI on Thursday evening.

Mr Orbán learnt with great sadness that Father Henri Boulad, a true defender of Christianity, had been taken by the Creator. “We are mourning not only an exceptional theologian, but also a deservedly esteemed member of the Hungarian community as since 2017 we have had the honour of being connected to Father Boulad also by Hungarian citizenship and the heritage of St. Stephen,” Mr Orbán wrote.

He added that Henri Boulad had been one of the few who had been able to show the correct way with his sacrificial service and pure-hearted spirit even in the darkest times. He was not afraid to speak the truth even if it went against the general defining spirit of our times. He firmly believed that we must preserve our Christian identity, thereby offering the Hungarian government a moral compass during our difficult struggle, Mr Orbán wrote, praising Father Boulad.

“I recall with gratitude our inspiring exchanges which served as a basis for our efforts made for the preservation of Christian values in Europe and for the protection of persecuted Christian communities worldwide,” the Hungarian Prime Minister wrote in conclusion.

Jesuit monk and spiritual writer Henri Boulad, several of whose works were also published in Hungarian, died on 14 June in Cairo, aged 91.