The Churches of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Lithuania recently signed a joint declaration in Budapest, in which they reaffirmed that the profound identity of their nations and the friendship that has bound them together over the centuries are inseparable from their adherence to Christianity.

This initiative took place against the backdrop of the 800th anniversary of the birth of St. Kinga (1234-1292) and the 650th anniversary of the birth of St. Hedwig (1374-1399), two saints who left a lasting mark on the history of Central Europe. Two days of celebrations were held in the Hungarian capital March 21-22, bringing together religious leaders from the four countries: Cardinal Péter Erdő, Primate of Hungary; Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski of Krakow; Artur Ważny, Auxiliary Bishop of Tarnów (Poland); František Trstenský, Bishop of Spiš (Slovakia); and Kęstutis Smilgevičius, General Secretary of the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference.

Although it went relatively unnoticed by the international press, this event is nonetheless significant, particularly in view of the historical context in Europe, marked by various geopolitical tensions arising from the war in Ukraine, and a growing mistrust of European institutions against a backdrop of falling birth rates and de-Christianization.

Bridges Between Nations

Both queens of Poland, Sts. Kinga and Hedwig, also had in common genealogical roots extending throughout Central Europe, and built bridges between the peoples of the Old Continent amid numerous territorial and dynastic conflicts.

St. Kinga was the daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary, the sister of St. Margaret of Hungary and the niece of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Married to Bolesław V, the Polish duke who ruled Krakow, she nevertheless maintained her vow of chastity, devoted her life to charity, and worked to support Poland in the grip of Tartar invasions and to keep the country united. Once widowed, she spent the rest of her life in the convent of the Poor Clares of Stary Sącz, which she had founded, refusing to take over the Polish crown from her husband. Now a patroness of Poland and Lithuania, she was canonized by John Paul II in 1999.

St. Hedwig of Anjou, canonized two years earlier by the Polish Pope, is considered the “protector of nations,” and is often compared to St. Joan of Arc for her work in unifying the country, not least thanks to her mastery of the art of diplomacy. The daughter of Louis I the Great, King of Hungary and Poland, of the House of Anjou, Hedwig married Ladislas II Jagellon, Grand Duke of Lithuania, in 1386, converting him to Christianity. This marriage resulted in the 1385 Union of Krewo, by which the two countries united under a single crown, on the condition that Lithuania embraced Christianity. St. Hedwig, who died in childbirth aged just 25 and was buried in Krakow’s Wawel Cathedral, is still considered one of the main architects of Poland’s 15th-century glory days.

“In today’s world, we still need holy people who can shine through the darkness of evil, selfishness, wars, despair and fear for the fate of humanity,” said Cardinal Erdő in his homily at the memorial Mass for the two saints on the evening of March 22 in Budapest’s Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, stressing that these people “provide the strength to persevere in the good, to hope and to love people in a concrete way.”

No Future Without a Return to Historical Foundations

Earlier in the day, the religious leaders had gathered in the Great Hall of Sapientia Monastic Theological College to sign a joint declaration in Italian, emphasizing that this double jubilee is a reminder that Christianity has always been the foundation and cement between the nations of Europe over the last millennium.

“Our nations joined the family of European nations through the adoption of Christianity. Christian faith and civilization have decisively shaped our identity, sustaining our existence against aspirations of external powers and harmful ideologies,” they stated.

These words have a certain resonance with current events, as the Russia-Ukraine war and the responses put in place by the various countries of Central and Eastern Europe have led to dissonances that are threatening to weaken their relations.

More recently, the Ministry of Education of the new left-leaning Polish government led by Donald Tusk has undertaken to remove from the history curriculum several key events in Polish-Hungarian relations, notably in the 14th and 15th centuries, considered by many historians to be periods of great prestige for both countries. The teaching of connections between the 1956 anti-communist Hungarian Revolution and Poland is also set to disappear from the school curriculum.

“St. Kinga and St. Hedwig, whose figures still unite Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, inspire us to build the future of our nations on our Christian values, to protect our cultural heritage, and to ‘journey together, asking the Lord for the grace to change past and present resentments and mistrust into new opportunities for fellowship’ (cf. Homily of Pope Francis, Csíksomlyó/Sumuleu-Ciuc, June 1, 2019) for the good of our region and all of Europe,” the statement continued.

This insistence by the signatories on the need for the nations of Europe to reappropriate their historical identity in order to look to the future already appeared a few paragraphs earlier in the declaration: “In recalling the example of life [of St. Kinga and St. Hedwig] we are aware that the basis of our future in this region can only be Christian charity and solidarity between people and nations, to which a special witness has been offered to us in history by the friendship between Lithuanians, Slovaks, Poles and Hungarians.”

The signing of the document was followed by the arrival of a relic of St. Kinga, transported by boat from the Basilica of Esztergom (northern Hungary) to the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where Mass was held. On this occasion, the Archbishop of Krakow, Marek Jędraszewski, donated to this popular Hungarian church — the city’s oldest parish church — a relic of St. Hedwig’s bone, previously kept in the Polish cathedral.

“We can now honor the relics of St. Hedwig and St. Kinga on the same altar,” said Cardinal Erdő as he opened Mass. “And we, Poles, Hungarians, Slovaks, Lithuanians, find ourselves here around this altar, united by the same Catholic faith. May God grant that this faith continues to be a resource and a bond for us.”