The government of Hungary has intensified measures to strengthen its influence in Zakarpattia region of Ukraine, including through the use of religious factors.
According to the Spiritual Front’s own sources, Hungary has increased funding for the Roman Catholic Diocese in Mukachevo, headed by ethnic Hungarian Antal Mainek, to implement the plan.
In particular, it is reported that in May this year, the Hungarian state-run Betlen Gabor Fund provided the Mukachevo diocese of the RCC at least 60 million Hungarian forints (about UAH 6 million), most of which came from Caritas charitable foundations.
These funds are being spent by the clergy to implement the so-called “National Policy Strategy” of Hungary for holding joint events with Hungarian diplomats and officials at various levels.
Among the examples of such activities were the opening of the Hungarian House on the territory of the RCC Church in Rakhiv with the participation of the ruling Bishop of the RCC Mukachevo Diocese Antal Mainek, Secretary of State of the Hungarian Ministry of Finance Jozef Bocko, and Hungarian Government Commissioner Istvan Greja.
Sources note that the church rector, also an ethnic Hungarian, Laszlo Mykuliak, has long cooperated with Hungarian diplomats and officials.
Interlocutors say Laszlo Mykuliak personally participated in the implementation of the Hungarian Petofi government program, led by the odious Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, with the purpose of teaching the Hungarian language and culture of ethnic Hungarians living in territories of foreign states.
Mykuliak was aiming to legalize the activities of Hungarian volunteers in Zakarpattia, issuing official invitations on behalf of his parish. In 2018, he was generally noted for his active efforts in Hungary’s parliamentary election campaign.
That year, Laszlo Mykuliak actively campaigned for Orban’s Fidesz party and also rallied Hungarian citizens of Zakarpattia region to cast ballots at the Hungarian consulates.
There are plenty of similar examples of cooperation between the clergy and staff of the Mukachevo diocese of the RCC and the Hungarian authorities. The most daring of them are political agitation, legalization of Hungarians and their activities in Zakarpattia region, actions toward honoring Hungarian statesmen, and so on.
It is important to note that this religious organization is under direct canonical subordination of the Vatican. However, it is mostly made up of Hungarian citizens, who make up at least 80%. And the latter factor is used by the Hungarian government to pursue its own aggressive foreign policy in Zakarpattia region of Ukraine.
In fact, official Hungary has placed the Mukachevo diocese of the RCC in unquestionable dependence on Budapest, which is increasing the use of the religious factor to expand its influence not only in Ukraine but also in other states whose lands, according to today’s Hungarian rulers, must become part of the so-called “Greater Hungary.”
