It is an uplifting feeling to experience the unity of the nation - Katalin Novák at the Csíksomlyó Pilgrimage

"It is an uplifting feeling to experience the unity of the nation", said Katalin Novák, summing up the experience of participating in the Csíksomlyó Pilgrimage on Saturday, after she attended the Pentecost Holy Mass conducted on the mountain saddle between Kis and Nagysomlyó together with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. 

The President of Hungary told journalists that those who, like her, have never been to the Csíksomlyó Pilgrimage before, may not be able to understand how uplifting it is to feel and experience the unity of the nation.

„A mother is happy when her family comes together - it was said in the sermon today. In the same way, as president, I find it uplifting to experience when the nation is together, as it happened here at the pilgrimagetoday. 

It was good to worship the Lord together," said the President of Hungary”.

In an interview with the public media, Katalin Novák said that at the Pilgrimage to Csíksomlyó, Christian faith and belonging to the Hungarian nation were celebrated together, and Hungarians prayed for peace. She pointed out that this is particularly valuable when a cruel war is raging in the neighbouring country, in which Hungarian people have lost their lives, and the Hungarian people as a whole fear that the war could reach their country. 

"Therefore, praying to God for peace now has a completely different meaning than before: this is the peace that we Hungarians want. But we also want peace in our everyday lives. We want peace in Hungary and we also want peace here in Transylvania, peace among Hungarians, peace between Hungarians and Romanians, peace in Europe", said Katalin Novák. 

After the Holy Mass, the President visited the Gothic Pilgrimage Church of Csíksomlyó, which is adorned with a statue of Mary carved from linden wood. The statue was declared a miracle worker by the Church in 1798. The 2.27-metre-high statue of Mary of Csíksomlyó, by an unknown artist, is the largest known statue of Mary in the world.