By Alexander Folz
Editorial staff – Wednesday, August 21, 2024, 12:00 p.m.
On August 20th, Hungary traditionally commemorates the national saint and founder of the state, King Stephen, with a fireworks display in Budapest. This year, more than 45,000 fireworks lit up the sky above the Danube. At the end, drones formed a royal crown and a huge cross in the sky.
The fireworks display, announced as the largest in Europe, stretched for five kilometers along the Danube between the Elisabeth Bridge, the Liberty Bridge and the Margaret Bridge.
In a Videoshared on Platform X, shows a swarm of drones with flares appearing over Parliament after the last explosions.
First, the drones took on the distinctive shape of St. Stephen’s Crown, the symbol of the first king and founder of Christian Hungary. Then a huge cross of light formed over Budapest.
A similar drone choreography had already been seen last year, as a reporter from The European Conservative reported.
The celebrations were intended to commemorate Saint Stephen, who was crowned by Pope Sylvester II in the year 1000 with a crown sent from the Vatican.
As the first king of Hungary, he played a central role in the Christianization of his country and laid the foundation for the Hungarian state as we know it today.
Who is Saint Stephen?
Stephen was the son of the Árpád prince Géza, who, as ruler of a still largely pagan people, recognized Christian doctrine but himself remained deeply rooted in paganism.
Géza was pragmatic and saw the adoption of Christianity as a political necessity to ensure the stability of his kingdom. The decisive step towards Christianity was the baptism of his son Vajk, who was given the Christian name Stephen – probably in honor of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
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The upbringing of the young Stephen was significantly influenced by Saint Adalbert of Prague. Adalbert, who as Bishop of Prague had great influence on the missionary work in Central and Eastern Europe, baptized and confirmed Stephen. Adalbert was later venerated as the “Apostle of the Hungarians” and after his accession to the throne, Stephen had the Cathedral of Esztergom consecrated in Adalbert’s honor.
When Stephen’s father Géza died in early 997, Stephen was supposed to succeed him as Grand Duke of Hungary. However, his rule was challenged by the rebel Koppány, a relative of the House of Árpád.
But Stephen, who was determined to consolidate Christianity in the country, gathered his followers around him and defeated Koppány in the Battle of Veszprém in 998.
With the support of his wife, the Bavarian Princess Gisela, he initiated a comprehensive reform program. Gisela brought priests, monks and knights to the Hungarian court and supported Stephen in his plan to establish the church as the main institution of the young Hungarian state.
Stephen founded numerous churches and monasteries, including the Pannonhalma Archabbey, which is still the centre of the Benedictine Order in Hungary. He established bishoprics in Veszprém, Esztergom and other towns and ordered the construction of parish churches throughout the country.
Towards the end of the year 1000, Stephen sent Abbot Asheric to Rome to ask Pope Sylvester II for the kingship.
The Pope was pleased with Stephen’s commitment and awarded him the “Crown of St. Stephen” and the title of “Apostolic King”. On January 1, 1001, Stephen was ceremoniously crowned King of Hungary.
During his reign, Stephen managed to transform Hungary into a stable and united Christian kingdom, successfully waging wars against internal and external enemies who opposed his vision of a Christian Hungary.
The death of his only son Emmerich in 1031 was a heavy blow of fate for Stephen, which plunged him into deep grief. After the death of his son, Stephen devoted his last years to charity and the promotion of the faith before he died on August 15, 1038.
Only a few decades after his death, on August 20, 1083, Stephen was canonized together with his son Emeric. To this day, Stephen I is a central figure of Hungarian identity and is venerated as the country’s patron saint.
His crown, the “St. Stephen’s Crown”, is the symbol of Hungarian sovereignty and is kept in the Hungarian Parliament.
Alexander Folz is a freelancer at CNA Deutsch. He grew up in Saarland in the early 2000s and is studying economics at the Leibniz University in Hanover. Alexander Folz is interested in Catholic social teaching, the link between Catholicism and business. He is privately involved in a Catholic youth movement and in a pro-life campaign.
