Budapest, Hungary, Nov 28, 2006 / 22:00 pm
A large organization of Jewish Hungarians has awarded their annual “For Jews in Hungary Award,” to a representative of the Catholic Church for the first time. The Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary (Mazsihisz) has recognize Cardinal Peter Erdo, “For strengthening dialogue between the Catholic church and the Jewish church and for preserving the memory of the Jews killed during the Holocaust and those who saved them.”
The awarding of the “For Jews in Hungary” award, to the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and President of the Hungarian Bishops Conference, marks the first time the annual award has been giving to a Catholic
According to the Catholic agency Magyar Kurír, Péter Feldmájer, President of the Federation, said the award has been given “for strengthening dialogue between the Catholic church and the Jewish church, as well as for preserving the memory of the Jews killed during the Holocaust and those who saved them.”
Feldmajer said the awarding of a Catholic cardinal was, “an unprecedented fact, of course, but I think every favorable course must have a start somewhere”..
“(The prize) has been given to all the Church, through my person,” Cardinal Péter Erdo affirmed.
“The return to the past and the common search for the truth can have a beneficial, healing effect on society,” he added.