With the refurbishment of returned college buildings, the work he did with young people and the support he provided for scattered congregations, Transylvanian Reformed Church Bishop Géza Pap also proved that our future in the Carpathian Basin rests on the preservation of our faith and our Hungarian identity, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote to the family of the former head of the Transylvanian Reformed Church District, offering his condolences on the bishop’s death.

In the letter sent to the Hungarian news agency MTI on the day of the funeral, the Prime Minister highlighted he was shocked to learn that the 45th bishop of the Transylvanian Reformed Church District, the Right Reverend Géza Pap, is no longer with us.

Mr Orbán wrote that hard times require tested and determined leaders who are not afraid of stormy winds, but persistently and faithfully follow the often rugged path of service.

The Prime Minister highlighted in his letter that Géza Pap devoted his entire life to Jesus Christ and the cause of the members of the Transylvanian Reformed Church. As a minister, as a bishop and also as the executive chairman of the Synod of the Reformed Church in Romania he followed the guiding principles of loyalty and order throughout.

In his letter Mr Orbán offered his condolences, and wished the mourning family much strength and comfort for the difficult period ahead.

Géza Pap, a former bishop of the Transylvanian Reformed Church District died on 13 November in Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca) aged 64. His memorial service and funeral will be held on Saturday in the Farkas utca Reformed Church in Kolozsvár and at the Házsongárd cemetery.

(MTI)