On March 21, 2025, a dual book presentation was held in Kalocsa at the Astriceum Archiepiscopal Museum. The event was organized by the Archdiocesan Archives of Kalocsa in collaboration with the Fraknói Research Group.
The attendees were welcomed by Balázs Bábel, Archbishop of Kalocsa-Kecskemét. In his opening speech, he emphasized the particular significance of presenting these volumes in the archiepiscopal see, given that their content primarily pertains to the history of the archdiocese. As such, the information published in them is of heightened relevance to the present local community.
In his remarks, the prelate recalled the IX. Fraknói Summer Academyi, held in Kalocsa in August 2023, in which he had also participated as part of a panel discussion led by Péter Tusor. The lectures delivered at that event form the basis of the book Centuries of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa (A kalocsai érsekség évszázadai) , edited by Viktor Kanász and György Sági, which was the first volume presented on this occasion. The archbishop specifically noted that one of the editors, György Sági, also contributed a study to the book as an author.
Regarding the second volume presented—a source publication entitled Reports of the Parishes of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa on the Implementation of the Liturgical Reforms Following the Second Vatican Council (1967), edited by Gábor Kiss and Andor Lakatos—the archbishop shared a personal reflection. He recalled how he had experienced the transition to the vernacular liturgy at the time. He spoke of his enthusiasm for attending Masses celebrated by priests who had begun practicing this change in Hungarian. He also touched upon the resistance to the introduction of versus populum altars, which was particularly evident among the older clergy.
Following Archbishop Bábel's introductory remarks, historian Miklós Jávor, an external research fellow of the Fraknói Research Group, took the floor. He introduced volume I/6 of the Collectanea Studiorum et Textuum series. After making general comments on the structural division of the volume, he provided a detailed discussion of the individual studies, occasionally pointing to possible directions for further research. His presentation offered the audience a comprehensive picture of the ecclesiastical, general historical, educational, and cultural-historical complexity of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa.
The task of presenting the source publication was undertaken by József Szakály, titular provost and parish priest-dean of Topolya, thus ensuring the representation of the historical Archdiocese of Kalocsa-Bács’s region that now belongs to Serbia. In his lecture as a liturgical expert, he addressed the multilingualism of the southern region, referring to a speech given by the late Bishop Mátyás Zvekanovity of Szabadka (Subotica, SRB) at the Second Vatican Council, in which he argued in favor of the exclusive use of Latin. His reasoning was that transitioning to vernacular languages would create confusion in his diocese. Eventually, the issue was resolved by holding multilingual Masses and later increasing the number of Masses. The parish priest of Topolya also reflected on generational differences among clergy, highlighting how various groups responded to the liturgical reforms. He illustrated his points with examples and practices of priests, some of whom he had personally known.
At the conclusion of the book presentation, Archbishop Bábel expressed his gratitude to the attendees for their presence and to the experts for their insightful presentations on the volumes.
