Homily 29.10.23 by Frank Brennan 6

A couple of days after the publication of the Aboriginal letter post-referendum, I was privileged to join a group of 20 people at Australian Catholic University meeting with Katalin Novak, the President of Hungary. The 46 year old mother of three was accompanied by her bishop from the Reformed Church in Hungary. She addressed us and answered questions for well over an hour, and without a note. She is a great advocate for laws and policies aimed at encouraging a higher birth rate in view of Europe’s below replacement birth rate. She spoke of the complexity of foreign relations especially with the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Hungary, though dependent on Russian gas during the winter, is sympathetic to the Ukrainians, two million of whom have fled into Hungary during the war. With disarming simplicity and a charming smile, she told us, ‘Faith and children help you make the right decisions.’ She has a good relationship with Pope Francis with whom she speaks regularly on the phone, and in Spanish. At the end of her presentation, she told us about the moment she took over the presidency two years ago. She was left in an office briefly on her own. So she called her husband. He was too busy to talk. She tried to call her best friend but she was not available. She said, ‘But then I realised I was not alone. I always have someone with me.’ Her simple profession of faith was inspirational.