György Udvardy Explained

Type:Archbishop
György Udvardy
Archbishop of Veszprém
Church:Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese:Veszprém
See:Veszprém
Appointed:12 July 2019
Term Start:31 August 2019
Predecessor:Gyula Márfi
Other Post:Vice-President of the Hungarian Episcopal Conference (2015-)
Ordination:15 June 1985
Ordained By:László Lékai
Consecration:21 February 2004
Consecrated By:Péter Erdő
Birth Name:György Udvardy
Birth Date:14 May 1960
Birth Place:Balassagyarmat, Hungary
Previous Post:Titular Bishop of Marazanae (2004-11)
Auxiliary Bishop of Esztergom-Budapest (2004-11)
Bishop of Pécs (2011-19)
Motto:Jézus Krisztus az úr
Coat Of Arms:Coat of arms of György Udvardy (archbishop).svg

György Udvardy (born 14 May 1960) is a Hungarian prelate, who was appointed Archbishop of Veszprém by Pope Francis on 12 July 2019.[1] He has been a bishop since 2004.

Pope John Paul II named him auxiliary bishop of Esztergom-Budapest on 24 January 2004.[2]

Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Pécs on 9 April 2011.[3]

A controversial decision of his as Archbishop of Veszprém is the renovation of his cathedral, the St. Michael's in 2022. All frescoes, the painted glass windows, the marble floor and the Gothic Revival altar were removed, and the cathedral was renovated in a much more Puritanistic style. The frescoes were painted by renowned artist Antal Szirmai in 1910, when the cathedral was renovated in a Romanesque and Gothic Revival style after the old Baroque frescoes had been decayed beyond repair. The painted glass windows were made by another renowned artist, Lili Sztehlo Árkay, after the previous, Gothic Revival windows, painted by Gida Waltherr, were destroyed during WWII. Both the frescoes and the windows were deemed artistically significant. Many residents of the city protested their removal (including retired archbishop Gyula Márfi), over 3000 signatures were collected in a petition, and an appeal was made to Pope Francis himself, but without success. The current archbishop resisted, and even called his predecessor to leave the city. The only successful result of the protests was that new painted glass windows (based on Waltherr's originals) were ordered instead of the plain ones of the original renovation plan.[4] Sztehlo's windows will be restored and exhibited in a museum.[5]

External links

Notes and References

  1. 13 July 2019 . it . Holy See Press Office . 12 July 2019. Rinunce e Nomine, 12.07.2019.
  2. 13 July 2019 . . Rinunce e Nomine, 24.02.2004. it . 24 January 2004 .
  3. 13 July 2019 . Holy See Press Office . Rinunce e Nomine, 09.04.2011. it . 9 April 2011.
  4. Web site: Exkluzív fotók bizonyítják: tényleg tönkretették a veszprémi székesegyházat Válasz Online . 2023-01-18 . hu.
  5. Web site: Veszprém: végül Waltherr Gida üvegablakait veszik alapul a székesegyház felújításánál . www.epiteszforum.hu . 2023-01-18 . en .