Hungarian priest outraged at being “forced to drink” his holy water at Budapest Airport
A Hungarian priest found himself in an unusual situation at Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc International Airport when security staff questioned his holy water container. While he claims his religious freedom was violated, the airport insists staff followed standard regulations.
Hungarian priest drinks holy water
24.hu reported that a Hungarian priest, Dávid Kulcsár, chaplain of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Veszprém, recounted a startling encounter at Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc International Airport. Kulcsár shared his story in a Facebook post that is no longer available. According to him, his holy water container (a small metal tube) is routinely accepted in Rome. However, Hungarian security staff subjected him to inspection, which seems like a routine procedure for most passengers.
Despite informing them of his status as a Catholic priest and the fact that he had a bottle of holy water in his bag, they searched his belongings. Allegedly, even his backpack’s zipper was damaged in the process of going through his things. When the airport staff found his small holy water container, they questioned its contents and treated it with suspicion. Kulcsár was then given three choices: checking it in, pouring it out, or drinking it. In disbelief, he chose the third option, something he had never done in his 34 years.
Religious freedom violated?
The Hungarian priest believes that this was an act against his religious freedom. He wrote the following in his Facebook post:
[Hungary] is supposed to be a Christian country where religious freedom exists as a fundamental right. Every day we hear about the terrible persecution of Christians in the world. Today, in the airport of my own country, as a Hungarian citizen, my religious freedom was violated. This will not be broadcast on any news channel, but let everyone draw their own conclusions…
Budapest Airport’s reaction
Budapest Airport responded to the incident involving Hungarian priest Dávid Kulcsár, stating that while they regret any inconvenience caused, their security procedures comply with international and Hungarian regulations. They cited EU Regulation 2015/1998, which mandates strict screening of all liquids in carry-on luggage. As the capacity of Kulcsár’s holy water container could not be determined, it did not meet the necessary criteria for air travel.
In addition, the airport clarified that security staff did not force the priest to drink the holy water but simply presented him with standard options: checking it in, discarding it, or consuming it. They also highlighted that their staff acted in full compliance with the rules, emphasising that the decision to drink the holy water was entirely Kulcsár’s own choice.
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