“The Christian democratic approach regards different things as valuable than the liberal approach; for instance, the Christian democratic approach thinks in terms of the community: family and nation”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s State Secretary for Information and the International Representation of Hungary Tamás Menczer said in Budapest on Wednesday.

The State Secretary pointed out that an international conference for Christian journalists had been held recently, at which the persecution of Christians had also been a topic of discussion. “245 million people are being persecuted in various forms today for being Christian”, he stated.

Mr. Menczer presented a donation of five million forints, which was saved during the organisation of the conference, to the Ecumenical Aid Organisation to help provide assistance to Christians in need in the Middle East, which will help refurbish the grounds of two Iraqi schools and supply them with sports equipment.

“During the course of the conference, the difference between the Christian and liberal approach, and between Christian democracy and liberal democracy, became clear. The Christian democratic approach regards different things as valuable than the liberal approach; for instance, the Christian democratic approach thinks in terms of the community: family and nation, while the liberal approach thinks in terms of the individual. And in contrast to the liberal approach, the Christian democratic approach regards it as valuable and provides support if the individual takes action in support of their community, for instance by starting a family, raising children, or getting a job and doing well at work. According to the liberal approach, traditions, religion and the nation restrict us, and for this reason we must get rid of them, but according to the Christian democratic approach these are values and must be preserved”, he explained.

“We are often attacked with claims that the Hungarian Government’s migration policy is not Christian democratic and is not in harmony with Christian values. The exact opposite is true: Hungary has indeed constructed a fence to stop migration and to protect the people of Hungary, but in addition it is also taking aid to crisis regions, because its principle is that the trouble shouldn’t be brought here, but instead assistance must be taken to where it is most needed”, he emphasised.

The Ecumenical Aid Organisation’s director for development and humanitarian aid Klára Keveházi told reporters that the situation in Iraq is grave in areas that were previously held by the Islamic State terrorist organisation, and although there are some schools where life has begun again, in most cases there is no chance of teaching commencing again without external assistance. “Whereas improving teaching conditions is vital to enabling families to stay at home”, she added.

“The Ecumenical Aid Organisation is striving to help local families, to improve their living conditions and to provide assistance to enable people who have been forced to leave to return home”, she stated. “So far, we have already provided aid towards the reconstruction and refurbishment of housing, schools and water networks”, she listed.

Ms. Keveházi said that schools in the region are in bad condition, and school courtyards are often dangerous, and for this reason the donation received will be spent on establishing sports locations in two secondary schools and on purchasing spor

(MTI)