La corona e la porpora.

Károly Hornig e la diocesi di Veszprém (1888-1917)

In 2023 Veszprém (Lake Balaton region) becomes one of the European Capitals of Culture, arousing much attention to it and its history. Related to its history, the Catholic Church has played a key role, as have the bishops who have succeeded one another in its diocese. Prominent among them was Baron Károly Hornig, who was appointed bishop by the pope in 1888, 135 years ago, and awarded the purple in 1912. Hornig was an ardent supporter of the Vatican archives, resulting in the impressive volumes of the Monumenta Romana Episcopatus Vesprimiensis, through which he became a well-known figure in Rome.

This conference focuses on this figure. In the first session, we insert the figure of Horning within the history of the Hungarian church and then come to his activity as a bishop.

In the second session, on the other hand, we insert his figure into the series of cardinal appointments of the time, presenting the Sacred College of Cardinals at the end of the Empires, and then the Austro-Hungarian cardinal appointments in the nineteenth century. Finally, we explain the background of his adventurous ordination as a cardinal and examine his connections with Rome.

For this conference we have chosen the words of Pope Pius X, which explain the context of his appointment in the consistory of December 2, 1912, when he ordained him Cardinal.

The conference is organized by the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Embassy of Hungary to the Holy See, the Austrian Historical Institute, the Library and Archives of the Archdiocese of Veszprém, the Academy of Hungary in Rome, and the Veszprém-Balaton European Capital of Culture Program 2023, under the high patronage of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences and the Archdiocese of Veszprém.

The event will open with a small concert performed by two members of the Auer Trio (J. S. BACH: "Goldberg" Variations BWV 988 - extracts).