The Hungarian government’s cooperation with churches has led to a significant reduction in the number of divorces and abortions in the country. Hungarian Minister for Family, Youth and International Relations and Fidesz Vice President Katalin Novak announced this at a Christian conference on Monday, writes Remix News.
Minister Novak emphasized that for Europeans, Christianity is not a matter of choice, but of predestination, and in Hungary “they not only proclaim and talk about some kind of Christian renewal, but have decided to take decisive measures on behalf of the government.”
Thus, according to Eurostat’s data, of all the countries in the European Union, Hungary earmarks the largest part of funds to support churches and church educational institutions. Over the past ten years, the number of Hungarian citizens who support the Church with 1% of their personal income tax has increased by 400,000, the number of baptisms has reversed the falling trend, church marriages have increased, and half a million children have enrolled in religious education courses. In addition, Novak added, the state doubled the number of church educational institutions in which nurseries, kindergartens and schools operate, and accordingly the number of children who attend them.
According to her, since 2010, more and more Hungarian children are born in wedlock, the number of abortions in marriage has almost halved, and the number of out-of-wedlock births has decreased by two-thirds. At the same time, the divorce rate is the lowest in 60 years. Katalin Novak also spoke about the introduction of religious ethics in the public education system, the restoration of 3,000 and construction of 130 new churches. She emphasized that no church was closed or turned into a shopping center.