Pastor Fidelissimus
May he be diligent in care and fervent in spirit; may he despise pride; and may he love humility, and truth, and never forsake it, overcome by either flattery or fear. May he not regard light as darkness, or darkness as light; may he not say that evil is good, or good is evil.
(Part of the rite of episcopal ordination)
"Mindszenty was a great bishop, a martyr of the faith, a martyr incarnating the faith of the Hungarians and the complete and perfect obedience to the Pope's will. He is a role model for priests, a perfect example of the fulfilment of priestly duties. He was also a man of prayer. He perceived the importance of the redemption and of expiation. He talked of it often both in his private conversations and in his public speeches. Mindszenty forgave everything; he forgave the blows that stroke him as an individual. However, he maintained an unbending attitude and was not willing to bargain over what he incarnated. When the time came to submit to the Pope's decision, de did so, thus proving his immense love for the Church." (Cardinal Franz König, Archbishop of Vienna)
"I am giving His Eminence my cardinal’s mantle so that it will protect him from the cold in that cool country and will serve as a symbol of the love and respect I have for him." (Words of the Servant of God Pope Paul VI before the Cardinal's departure for Vienna on 23 October 1971)
"Never, on no occasion did we experience that you broke the union of charity with Us, and, based on the bond of grateful respect, we admire you for your fidelity and the fulfilment of your duties towards Christ's Church in the past and in the future." (Pope Paul VI, 18 December 1973)
"He was great at pastoral visits and he really enjoyed them. Such visits reached their peak in the exile; they increased his reputation, spread the fame of his holiness and made him extremely happy." (Julián Füzér OFM)
"Time is in God's hands and time is an ally of truth." (József Mindszenty)
"The image of an overly serious, even sombre man with no sense of humour is absolutely false. There are many testimonies and memories proving that he was serene, cheerful and jolly when it was time to be so, he was good at making jokes, jesting and he laughed a great deal. Yet he was not loud but silently serene. We could fill an entire album with the photos of Mindszenty smiling. He treated everyone, his priests and his faithful with deep affection, especially the sick, the needy and those suffering. Not with a sentimental or ostentatious affection but with a modest manly, peasant-like affection. Lots of documents can prove that." (Dr István Mészáros, historian)
"Spread smile and love around you. Do not hurt others and do not remain anyone's debtor." (József Mindszenty)
"His example, the example of courage, fidelity and rectitude will bear its fruit. The figure of Cardinal Mindszenty will have a major impact on future generations. In other words, József Mindszenty's great time is still to come." (Otto von Habsburg)
"Cardinal József Mindszenty, Primate of Hungary was one of the few people who became living symbols of courage and faith in their lifetime. He is a source of spiritual force for all the Hungarians and for all those who profess that the state has to serve man and not the other way round.
I pray with you so that the courage, faith and resistance shown by Cardinal Mindszenty be an example for all of us and that, gaining strength from it, we can also defend the eternal principles that he firmly defended." (Ronald Reagan)
"I feel no bitterness in the exile. The constant joy of the faith urges me to work for the souls among the Hungarians in exile. This is the work I started in Zalaegerszeg, and I continued it in Veszprém, Esztergom and the entire country. Now I have the same duty: searching, consoling and strengthening my flock. 'I try to accommodate everybody in everything, not looking for my own advantage, but for the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved' (1Cor 10:33)." (József Mindszenty)
"Our religiosity is worth as much as the love and goodness it entails." (József Mindszenty)