Roman Cardinal
1946
Grant him, O Lord, a ministry of reconciliation in word and in deeds, in the power of signs and of wonders. May his word and his preaching be, not in the convincing words of human wisdom, but rather in the display of Spirit and power.
(Part of the rite of episcopal ordination)
"Long live Hungary! You will be the first out of the 32 (new cardinals) who will have to experience the purple coloured martyrdom!" (Words of the Venerable Pope Pius XII to József Mindszenty in the moment of his creation as cardinal)
"Providence made him a protagonist of the most difficult and complicated period of his nation's millennial Christianity. Prompted by the example of his nation's saints and of the past centuries of the Hungarian Church, he worked to lay the foundations of Pannonia Sacra because he was convinced that the contribution of the Christian religion was necessary for the construction of an earthly country.
Today more than ever, the Church needs examples like his. It is only coherence and Christian firmness that can convince the people of today, and even the adversaries of the faith will only appreciate such behaviour." (Words of Cardinal Aloisio Traglia at the requiem of Mindszenty by the Sacred College of Cardinals)
"I stand for God, for the Church and for Hungary. This responsibility has been imposed upon me by the fate of my nation which stands alone, an orphan in the whole world. Compared with the sufferings of my people, my own fate is of no importance.
I do not accuse my accusers. I pray for a world of truth and love. I pray for those who, in the words of Our Lord 'know not what they do'. I forgive them from the bottom of my heart." (From József Mindszenty's words as Primate of Hungary, 18 November 1948)
"The world and especially we Catholics are very much aware of the fact that Cardinal Mindszenty was a champion of the freedom of religion and justice in Hungary. He wished to serve the real happiness of his nation by fighting for the freedom of religion and the freedom of the Church. The entire world acknowledges the courage of his convictions, with which he defended the right to faith and religion. We stand by him with fraternal loyalty and pray for him so that he can hold out also during his martyrdom. We call upon the entire population of our country to pray for the cardinal of Hungary and express their admiration and recognition for this exemplary manly integrity." (From a statement of Cardinal Theodor Innitzer, Archbishop of Vienna, 30 December 1948)