2. The "Hungarian Millennium" becomes an even more illustrious event because you are celebrating it on the solemn anniversary commemorating the death of St Stephen in the royal city of Esztergom, where long ago arrived the crown given to him by my venerable Predecessor Sylvester II. It is now kept on view in the splendid basilica, in the very place where the coronation took place, where, with deep gratitude, the President, the Prime Minister of the Republic, representatives of the Government and the Public Council will gather, together with the magistrates of Esztergom, a multitude of the faithful and many public leaders of the Hungarian State.

For Hungarians, this ancient crown is the symbol of their national identity, of their history and of the thousand-year-old culture of their kingdom and, adorned with the title of "Sacred Crown", it is venerated as a relic by the people. May this deep spiritual meaning help the members of the present generation to build a future filled with significant values on the foundations of the Christian institutions of yore.