Hundreds of Szeklers singing in the Vatican – VIDEO

Hargitanépe reports that a choir representing the Upper Ciuc region of Transylvania sang on Monday at the Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. The choir numbering over 405 people arrived in the Vatican to promote the beautification of bishop Áron.

The pilgrims attended the Sunday Holy Mass on the 7th of October at the Saint Ignatius church, while on the next day, on the Feast of Our Lady of Hungary, the group attended another Holy Mass (this time in Hungarian) where they even performed several songs. Since the large group could not fit into the Our Lady of Hungary Chapel, the mass had to be performed at the cathedral altar of the St. Peter’s Basilica. The Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister, Zsolt Semjén, the Hungarian ambassador to the Holy See, Eduárd Habsburg-Lotharingiai and the Hungarian ambassador to Rome, Ádám Zoltán Kovács, were also present at the latter mass.

The choir prepared mostly with Mary-songs for this Mary Indulgence, but they performed the Hungarian and Szekler anthems, too.

Bishop Ferenc Palánki emphasised that Hungarians everywhere are trying to maintain peace in Europe, representing Christian values, honouring Saint Stephen, who offered Hungary to the Virgin Mary, hoping that she will protect the nation in the coming centuries. A thousand years have passed, as Palánki argues, and yet Hungarians have never forgotten their faith which was given to them by their ancestors and which they will have to pass on to the coming generations.

The pilgrims, respecting tradition, wore Szekler and Csángó folk costumes which, as Vatican News writes, captivated tourists and believers alike.

The choir had an audience with the pope himself, for which they prepared fifteen liturgical songs, among them several are dedicated to Virgin Mary, and even a hymn about bishop Áron Márton, as this pilgrimage is to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Áron Márton’s appointment as a bishop. The pilgrims’ ultimate goal is to have bishop Áron beatified.

The 405-member choir is made up of 14 smaller Szekler choirs, namely from Balánbánya, Csíkszentdomokos, Dánfalva, Madaras, Csicsó, Madéfalva, Delne, Szépvíz, Szentmiklós, Borzsova, Taploca, Gyimesfelsőlok, Gyimesközéplok, and the choir of the Millenium Church from Csíkszereda.

Photo: vaticannews.va

Source: hargitanepe.eu, vaticannews.va