Participating at the mass in Szombathely were Péter Erdő, Primate, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Juliusz Janusz, Apostolic Nuncio to Hungary, retired bishop László Paskai and many other members of the Hungarian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
A Papal bull from Benedict XVI naming the new bishop was read, in Latin and Hungarian; and István Konkoly, the retiring bishop of Szombathely, passed his crosier to his successor.
Archbishop Erdő welcomed Veres in the name of the Hungarian Conference of Catholic Bishops and acknowledged Konkoly?s 18 years of service as a bishop.
?During bishop András Veres?s many years as secretary of the Conference of Bishops, he practiced that active love which Jesus also taught?.we experienced his deep conviction, faith and love for the church,? Erdő said. ?I wish that his new service may be bound with the same.?
Erdő noted that heading the diocese of Saint Martin presents a big task for a bishop. ?With the power of faith and love, Saint Martin brought together the peoples of Europe at the time. Today too, there is a great need for this faith and love ? a need for Christ.?
In his homily, Veres stressed that the aim of a priest?s and a bishop?s service should be to help people on the path to Jesus. He also noted the importance of instruction in faith, the support of Christian families and congregations and the spreading of the teaching of the Word.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
