Hungarians “must insist on the Christian foundations of their statehood” and seek alliance with communities that “have the courage to speak up against the destructive and violent frenzy mocking Christian teaching”, István Soltész, state secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, told a Saint Stephen’s Day celebration in Szekler Land, in Romania, on Tuesday. Referring to the remonstrances of Stephen I, Hungary’s sainted king, to his son, Soltész said “it is important to welcome and take care of strangers but only as long as it does not jeopardise the Christian faith, the nation, and the homeland.” He also suggested that law was crucial but it should not be used “to tie up” countries or “to destroy the moral foundations of the created world”. Soltész lambasted the European Union for what he saw as misinterpreting Christian teachings “for ideological and economic reasons” and for “abusing the patience and good nature of Christians to make them accept its destructive, pro-war ideology”. The state secretary said it had been a major mistake by Europe’s Christian community “to accept the French Revolution’s ideals of separating church and state”. “We have allowed for the destruction of Judeo-Christian teachings, the foundations of Europe,” he insisted. “We should bravely confess that we are proud that King Saint Stephen built the Hungarian state on solid foundations a thousand years ago and made Hungary a part of a Christian Europe,” Soltész said.