Catholic bishop calls for solidarity but warns against cultural invasion in wake of mass migration

Budapest (MTI) – The Catholic community of Szeged in south Hungary embraces solidarity towards migrants, but it must also call attention to the dangers of a possible “cultural invasion” that growing mass migration may bring, Bishop Laszlo Kiss-Rigo said in a statement sent to MTI on Saturday.

“All our fellow humans suffering from physical, emotional or intellectual poverty should be helped regardless of race, language, religion or sympathies,” the bishop said. The Diocese of Szeged-Csanadi has been a leader in demonstrating charity towards migrants for years. He said however that the current situation at Hungary’s southern borders was “not primarily a refugee issue”. The situation can best be helped by working together, as suggested by Pope Francis, Kiss-Rigo said.

The new problem is a growing wave of migrants, which is really mass migration supported by organised crime groups that exploit people to the fullest. This can lead to cultural invasion at the very least, the bishop said. He said that he had briefed Pope Francis about the situation and of the dangers concerning the migration wave experienced in Szeged and its surroundings.

The diocese’s support programmes include a 15 million forint (EUR 47,700) scholarship scheme for poor students of India and Africa, among them Muslims, who then return to their home countries with medical degrees. The diocese also helped poor communities in India build churches with a donation of more than 30 million forints. Last year it had offered to take in 1,000 Christian refugees from Syria, but the targeted group had never managed to reach the Schengen border, the bishop said, adding that their offer is still open to asylum-seekers who arrive legally and who register with the authorities, file and receive asylum status and choose to stay permanently in Hungary.

For three years the Szeged diocese has operated a shelter for unaccompanied minors who are refugees. The facility houses 400 children and provides services by teachers, interpreters, medical staff and mental hygiene experts. The diocese’s volunteers have set up tents at Roszke at the Serbian border and provide medical care to migrants while collecting and distributing donations. They offer migrants warm accommodation and a place to rest. The diocese has also offered a building to accommodate police officers on duty at the borders, the bishop said in his statement.