The majority is not always easy to convince, but if you state the truth frequently enough it may even become popular,” he added. Cardinal Péter Erdő, head of the Hungarian Catholic Church, said that “the values of human coexistence derive from the family”.

It is in the family that one learns “the ability to love through helping others and making sacrifices”. Brian Brown, head of the World Congress of Families, said in his speech that families are the core; the truth around which cultures and religions are centred.

He also noted the Hungarian government’s commitment to the cause of families. Reformed Bishop József Steinbach called the family a “fundamental order of life created by God”, which serves as a basis for “any order in future against a threatening, terrible chaos”.

Slomó Köves, chief rabbi of the EMIH Jewish community, said that having children was not a demographic question but an issue concerning the fundamental existence of man. Those without children cannot experience the gift of being created in God’s image, he insisted.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Soós Lajos