An English Translation of the Admonitions of St. Stephen, Founder and First King of Hungary

Saint King Stephen's Mirror for Princes

The New Digest is thrilled to present a translation produced by Daniel Whitehead. Mr. Whitehead served in the General Counsel’s Office of Governor Ron DeSantis and has clerked on two federal courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He is a fellow of the Claremont Institute and James Wilson Institute. He is currently a Senior Fellow of the Hungary Foundation.

“Did [St. Stephen] not write his Admonitions for all future generations of Hungarians, for all the heirs of his crown? Your holy king, dear brothers and sisters of the Hungarian nation, left you as an inheritance not only the royal crown which he received from Pope Sylvester II. He left you the spiritual testament, a heritage of fundamental and indestructible values: the true house built upon the rock.” – St. Pope John Paul II

Introduction by Daniel Whitehead

Among the many great rulers who have contributed to the temporal prominence and advancement of the Catholic Church, few lived lives meriting saintly veneration (relative to those who entered the clerical or religious states). Of course, Emperor Constantine the Great justly earned his honorific, but he famously waited until his deathbed before accepting baptism because of the many indiscretions that marked his pursuit of power and imperial rule. His sons were no better, probably worse, and even Emperor Theodosius, who finished his predecessor’s work in formalizing Catholicism’s place as the state religion, had an unfortunate run in with St. Ambrose.

In terms of sainted statesmen in the Catholic tradition, many can readily cite St. Louis IX or Blessed Karl, and fewer think of St. Wenceslaus I or St. Edward the Confessor. But one thing these saints, and most venerable rulers have in common, is that Christendom was bequeathed to them by their predecessors. There are exceedingly few rulers who managed to successfully spread the Christian religion to pagan subjects, while also living a life of extraordinary virtue, holiness, and devotion.

Living in Hungary, I have encountered two such saints who can claim this accomplishment: St. Stephen, First King and Founder of Hungary, and his knightly successor, St. Laszlo, both of whom I hope to write about more fully in the future. The Hungarians, who derive their name from the fearsome Huns¹ in all languages but their own,² traveled from the east, descended upon the Carpathian basin, and controlled the area by 895. A confederation of seven pagan tribes, the Hungarians executed successful raids across Europe, from Spain to Constantinople.

Although Catholicism made some inroads in Hungarian culture, it was not until a century after the Hungarians entered the European scene that the state, under St. Stephen, made serious efforts at converting the people from paganism, nomadism, and raiding, to agriculture, settlements, and the Catholic faith. St. Stephen, who according to pious tradition is a direct descendant of Attila the Hun,³ was born to Geza, a nobleman and nominal Christian who practiced paganism. Unlike his father, St. Stephen was a devout Catholic who fully exerted himself to bringing the Hungarians into the Christian fold.

To do so, St. Stephen invested heavily in church building, instituted major legal and moral reforms aimed at prioritizing the interests and teachings of the Catholic Church while dissuading the people from pagan vice, superstition, and vandalism, and fought numerous wars to preserve order amidst numerous pagan uprisings. His later successor, the warrior-king St. Laszlo,⁴ would finish his work and firmly establish Hungary as a Catholic state.

To facilitate St. Stephen’s efforts, Pope Sylvester II conferred extraordinary, because ordinarily ecclesial, powers on him, which is why St. Stephen alone, in all of history, bears the title Apostolic King.⁵ In addition, and according to pious tradition, Pope Sylvester II sent St. Stephen the Holy Crown,⁶ which he in turn consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, giving rise to the cult of “Our Lady of Hungary.” The Holy Crown was worn by practically every king of Hungary, from the time of St. Stephen to his final successor, Blessed Karl. It has served as the national symbol of Hungary for over one-thousand years, and even now sits in Parliament under armed guard.

Because of St. Stephen’s preeminent role as saint and ruler, I have taken a special interest in his life and accomplishments.⁷ This interest led me to the Admonitions, a series of short instructions that St. Stephen prepared for his son, St. Emeric (from whom America derives its name), for his expected accession to the throne.⁸ The document was written in Latin and in the form of a mirror for princes, a medieval didactic literary genre meant to impart wisdom concerning good government and the practice of virtue. Unfortunately for St. Stephen, and his wife Blessed Giselle, St. Emeric died young and would never see the throne.⁹

Be that as it may, the Admonitions are still a valuable source of practical instruction for those engaged in politics today and do much to discredit the opinions of the many detractors of traditional Catholic teaching on political order. Indeed, the Hungarians took and still take the Admonitions very seriously, as they served as the first pages of the Corpus Juris Hungarici, the official collection of Hungarian laws, for centuries, and Hungarians today are still taught about them (I recently met a Hungarian who told me that he reads the Admonitions at least once a year). Because I was not able to locate an English translation, but only the original Latin version, some English excerpts, and Hungarian translations, I decided to put my hand to the task and make available a complete English translation for my American friends. I hope readers find something valuable in the following meditations of St. Stephen, King of Hungary.

Preface to Admonitions

In the name of the Holy Trinity and the Persons of the Unity. Since I discern that all things that have been established at God’s command, and assigned its place according to his most evident divine plan, both in the breadth of the sky and in those most wide expanses of the earth, subsist and flourish entirely according to the design of an intelligent being; and since I amply see that that all things granted by the grace of God for the advantage and dignity of this life – namely, kingdoms, consulates, dukedoms, counties, pontificates, and all other authorities – are ruled, defended, divided, and joined together, according to both divine precepts and institutions and also by the experience of the noble and the counsels of the aged wise; and since I know for certain that all rulers, of whatever status, anywhere in the world instruct, counsel, and advise, not only their courtiers, friends, and servants, but also their sons; it is therefore not bothersome to me, my most dear son and companion of this life, to prepare for you lessons, precepts, counsels, and advice, with which you may embellish the character of your own life and the lives of your subjects, when, the Supreme Authority willing, you shall rule after me.

Moreover, it is fitting for you to zealously observe, your attention fully employed, the precepts of the Father, according to his divine wisdom, spoken through the mouth of Solomon: Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and reject not your mother’s teaching; a graceful diadem will there be for your head, a pendant for your neck, and the years of your life shall be many (Prov. 1:8-9). Therefore, from this saying, you will be able to perceive that, if you come to despise the counsels which I provide you from paternal piety, God forbid, you shall no longer be a great friend of God or men. To be sure, hear the case from scripture concerning the fall and calamity of the disobedient transgressors of God’s commands. Indeed, Adam, who the Lord, author and creator of all things, formed in his own image and made heir of all dignity, threw off the chains of the commandments and at once his own sublime rank and place in Paradise. So too, the ancient people, chosen and loved by God, because it broke the bonds of the commandments, written by the fingers of God, perished in myriad ways: indeed, some the earth engulfed, others the Destroyer killed,¹⁰ and some killed each other. The son of Solomon too, throwing off the peaceful words of his father, and filled with pride, threatened the spear against the people instead of the less severe punishments used by his father,¹¹ and for that reason suffered many evils in his reign, and was ultimately overthrown. May this not befall you, my son. You are a boy, a servant of delights, seated in the lap of luxury, warmed and educated in all manner of comforts, and without experience in campaigns, toil, and the attacks of the many nations, in which by now I have spent almost my entire life. Now the time is at hand, for you not always to devote yourself to the comfort of cushioned seats,¹² which may render you soft and undisciplined, and which is the dissipation of the virtues and the kindling-wood of vices, as well as contempt of the commandments: rather, you must sometimes devote yourself to adversity, which will make your mind attentive to the things I command. With these things said, let us turn to the matter at hand.

Chapter I

Concerning the Observance of the Catholic Faith

Because it is not fitting for any but the faithful and those imbued with the Catholic faith to accede to the order of royal dignity, we therefore give first place in our commands to the holy faith. In the first place, I command, counsel, and encourage you, dearest son, if you wish to bear the crown with royal honor, that you hold steadfast to the Catholic and apostolic faith with such diligence and care, that you set an example to all subjected to you by God, and so that all ecclesiastical men may rightly name you a true man of the Christian religion, without which, you should know for certain, you may not call yourself a Christian or a son of the Church. For he who believes falsely or fails to fulfill and crown his faith in good works (because faith without works is dead), neither reigns honorably here nor has a part in the eternal kingdom or crown. But if you keep the shield of faith, you shall wear the helmet of salvation. Indeed, with these weapons, you shall be able to properly contend with invisible and visible enemies. For the Apostle (St. Paul) says: an athlete cannot receive the winner’s crown except by competing according to the rules (II Tim. 2:5). The faith therefore, concerning which I speak, is this: that you firmly believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in his only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary by the message of an angel, and who for the sake of the entire world suffered death on a cross, and in the Holy Spirit, who spoke through Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists, and that this one Godhead is perfect, eternal, and pure, and that you believe these things without any doubts. This is the Catholic faith, and salvation is not possible for anyone (just as St. Athanasius says) unless he faithfully and firmly believes. If at any time within your reign, there are found those who endeavor to divide, diminish, or add onto this creed of the Holy Trinity, you must know that these are servants of heretics, and not sons of the Holy Church. Such persons you must neither encourage nor defend, lest you also appear a friend or supporter. For such men as these, utterly corrupt the sons of the holy faith, and wretchedly destroy the newly planted people of the holy church, and they will even scatter them. As your foremost concern, ensure that this does not come to pass.

Chapter II

Concerning the Church, and Maintaining the Ecclesial Order

Indeed, in the royal palace, after faith, the Church holds the second place, first sown by our Head, Jesus Christ; and then, having been transplanted and firmly built, through his members, particularly by the Apostles and the Holy Fathers, diffused throughout the whole world. And however much it may always produce new children, nevertheless it is held to be ancient in some places. However, dearest son, in our kingdom, it is still considered a new planting; and on this account, it requires more circumspect and conspicuous guards, lest this good thing, which the divine mercy granted to our unworthy hands through his immense clemency, be destroyed and annihilated through your indolence, sloth, and even negligence. For he who impairs or dishonors the dignity of the Holy Church, works to mutilate the Body of Christ. For the Lord Himself said to St. Peter, whom he made custodian and teacher of the very same holy Church: You are Peter, and upon this rock, I shall build my Church (Matt 16:18). For he called Himself the rock, and did not speak of a church that was built out of wood or stone, but rather an acquired people, a chosen and divine race, a flock instructed in faith, washed with baptism, anointed with chrism oil, a holy Church built upon Himself. If any wretch scandalizes the members or even the little ones of this holy Church, it is fitting, according to the law of the Gospel, that a millstone be hung around his neck and that he be thrown into the depths of the sea; in other words, let him be thrown out of the dignity of power into worldly misery and remain outside the Church of the righteous, just as the heathen and publican. And, therefore, my son, you ought to remain vigilant in fervent devotion, day by day, in the holy Church, so that the Church may grow, rather than decrease. It is for this reason, even especially so, that kings are said to be worthy of honor: because they enlarged the Church. This, you must do, so that your crown may be more praiseworthy, and your life happier and longer.

Chapter III

Concerning the Assignment of Bishops and Devotion to the Honor of the Pontiffs

The order of the bishops adorns the throne of the kings; and so, in royal dignity, the bishops have the third place. Accordingly, most dear son, you must guard those aged men, just as you guard the pupils of your eyes. If you have their good will, you shall fear no enemy. Indeed, with those bishops watching over you, you shall be secure in all things, and their prayer shall commend you to the Almighty God. For God instituted those guardians for the human race, and made them watchers over souls, and dispensers and donors of all ecclesiastical dignity and the holy sacrament. Without them, neither kings nor principalities are established. Through their intervention, the sins of mankind are blotted out. If you show them perfect love, you shall, without doubt, keep your vigor, and govern your kingdom with honor. In their hands rest the power of binding and releasing us from our sins. For God granted to them an eternal covenant, separated them from the rest of men, made them sharers in his name and holiness, and forbid that they be harmed by other men. As the consecrated King David says: Do not touch my anointed ones (Ps. 105:15). But he touches the anointed of the Lord who, contrary to divine and canon law, defames men of the holy order with false slanders and drags them into public disgrace. From that, my son, I enjoin you entirely, if you wish to lead a happy life and to honor your kingdom, because in these matters, God is especially offended. If, by some chance, a fault of sufficient blame should fall upon one of the bishops (God forbid), correct him three or even four times, privately, according to the command of the Gospel. If then he should refuse to heed your private warnings, public warnings must be applied to him, according to this: If he will not listen to you, tell the Church (Mt. 18:17). If you observe this order, you shall fully exalt your glorious crown.

Chapter IV

Concerning the Honor Due to Princes and Barons

The fourth adornment of government is the faith, courage, skill, friendship, and trust of the princes, barons, counts, knights, and nobles. For they are the champions of the kingdom, defenders of the weak, conquerors of the enemy, and the strength of monarchs. May they be to you, my son, fathers and brothers. Reduce no man of these classes to servitude or call any a slave. These men fight for you, they do not serve. Rule over them with peace, humility, and mildness, without anger, hubris, or greed, always keeping in mind that all men are of one condition: that nothing exalts man, save humility; and nothing destroys man except hubris and greed. If you are peaceful, then you will be called a king and the son of a king, and you will be loved by all the knights. If you are rageful, hubristic, greedy, and violent, and you raise your neck above the counts and princes, without a doubt, the might of the army shall be the downfall of the royal dignity, and they shall hand your kingdom over to others. Fearing this, rule the lives of the nobles with the straight edge of the virtues, so that they, strengthened by your good will, shall remain always loyal to the royal dignity without hindrance, and your kingdom will be peaceful through all things.

Chapter V

On the Virtue of Patience and the Duty of Justice

The observance of patience and justice is the fifth adornment of the royal crown. King David, both king and prophet, said this: Lord, give your judgment to the king (Ps. 72:1) and the honor of the king loves judgement (Ps. 99:4). Concerning patience, the Apostle Paul says: Be patient toward all (1 Thess. 5:14). And the Lord said in the Gospel: Stand firm in patience, and you shall possess your souls (Luke 21:19). Heed this, my son, if you wish the kingdom to have honor, have a special regard for justice : if you wish to possess your soul, be patient. And whenever, my dearest son, a worthy cause shall come to you for judgement, for example, a matter pertaining to a capital offense, do not bear it with impatience or with a firm oath to punish, such oaths are necessarily unstable and fragile, because foolish promises must be broken. Do not render judgment yourself, lest the royal dignity be sullied by the handling of lesser concerns: it is better to send a matter of this sort to judges, to whom these matters have been assigned, so that they may settle the matter according to the appropriate law. Fear to be a judge, but rejoice to be and to be called a king. Patient kings rule with honor, and impatient kings become tyrants. But when some matter, which is fitting to be judged by your royal dignity shall come before you, judge it with patience and mercy, or compassion, so that your crown may be praiseworthy and decorous.

Chapter VI

On the Reception of Foreigners and Hospitality

There is so great a value in the treatment of guests and men from afar that it rightly holds the sixth place in the order of royal concerns. For whence did the Roman Empire grow so vast, and how did the Roman kings become so exalted and glorious, except that many noble and wise men from diverse parts of the world were flowing into it. Indeed, until this day, Rome would have remained a slave, had Aeneas not set it free. For just as guests arrive from different parts of the provinces, so they bring diverse languages and customs, teachings, and weaponry, which all adorn the royal court and glorify the palace halls, all the while striking terror into the arrogant hearts of foreigners. For a kingdom of one language and one custom is fragile and weak. For this reason, I order you, my son, to treat foreigners with good will, to look after them with good faith, so that they spend their time with you with more delight than any other place they stay. If you apply yourself to destroying what I have built or scattering what I have brought together, without doubt, your kingdom shall suffer the greatest decline. So that this may not come to pass, daily increase the kingdom so that your crown may be revered by all.

Chapter VII

On the Great Importance of Counsel

In the courts of the kings, counsel claims for itself the seventh place. For kings are built up, kingdoms are governed, the homeland is defended, wars waged, victory attained, foes repelled, friends won, citizens built up, and the camps of the enemy destroyed through counsel. But when is there advantage in counsel? For counsel offered by fools, the arrogant, and mediocre men (so it seems to me) do not prevail, rather it should be squeezed and brought to a refined state from the hearts of good and wise men and the most reputable elders. Therefore, my son, do not take or seek counsel from the young and less wise; but from the elders, to whom this task is suitable on account of their age and wisdom. For the counsel of kings must be locked in the hearts of the wise, not spread about in the winds of fools. For if you walk the path with the wise, you shall become wise. If you converse with fools, you shall be counted among them, as the Holy Spirit revealed through King Solomon: Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm (Prov. 13:20). And King David: To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd (Ps. 18:25-27). Therefore, whatever concern is fitting to the age of each person, let him apply himself to that concern, namely, the young should devote themselves to arms, and the aged to counsel. Yet, the young are not entirely to be avoided in the matter of counsel. But whenever you take counsel from them, even if it appears suitable, nevertheless always defer to the elders, so that you may measure your every act according to the standard of wisdom.

Chapter VIII

On the Obligation to Imitate Ancestors, and of Children to Obey their Parents

The imitation of distinguished ancestors holds the eighth place in royal dignity. Know that the greatest royal adornment is to follow his kingly predecessors and to imitate his honorable parents. For he who scorns the principles of his fathers who have gone before him and disobeys divine laws, shall perish. For fathers are fathers because they rear their sons—and sons are sons because they obey their fathers. For he who stands up against his own father, proves to be an enemy of God For all who are disobedient, rebel against God. And the spirit of disobedience scatters the flowers of the crown. For disobedience is the plague of the entire kingdom. Therefore, dearest son, may the edicts of your father always be before you, so that your fortunes may be guided everywhere by the royal reins. Indeed, follow my ways, which you see are fitting for royal dignity, without the fetters of any doubt. For it will be difficult for you to hold the kingdom of this realm, unless you pattern your ways on those of your royal predecessors. What Greek has ever ruled over Latins with Greek customs, or what Latin has ever ruled over Greeks with Latin customs? None. Therefore, follow my customs, so that you may be regarded as extraordinary among your own people, and praiseworthy among foreigners.

Chapter IX

On the Duty of Prayer

Keeping prayer is the greatest contribution to royal salvation and, therefore, it resounds in the ninth rule of royal dignity. Constant prayer is the absolution and remission of sin. Moreover, whenever you run to the temple of God so that you may worship him, with King Solomon, the son of King David, always pray: Send wisdom forth from your holy heavens and from your glorious throne dispatch her that she may be with me and work with me, that I may know what is pleasing to you (Wis. 9:10). And in another place: Lord, Father and God of my life, do not give me haughty eyes; remove evil desire from my heart. Let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me; do not give me up to shameless desires (Sir. 23:4-6). With this prayer, the old kings prayed. You should pray the same, so that God may deem it meet to remove all your vices, that you may be called by all an invincible king. Pray also, that he free you from all sloth and weakness and fill you with every virtue, so that you may conquer your visible and invisible enemies, so that you may, together will all your subjects, complete your life’s journey in peace, safe and secure from every attack of your enemies.

Chapter X

On Piety, Mercy, and the Other Virtues

The measure of the virtues adorns the crown of kings and forms the tenth precept. For the Lord of the virtues himself is the King of Kings. Therefore, just as the heavenly host consists of ten choirs, so should the constant pursuit of your life be devotion to the ten commandments. A king must be pious and merciful, as well as imbued and adorned with all the other virtues. For a king thoroughly stained in impiety and cruelty, claims the name of king in vain, because he must be called a tyrant.¹³ Therefore, for this reason, my beloved son, the delight of my heart and hope of future sons, I beseech and command that, in all things and through all things, supported by piety, you be gracious not only to your family and relatives, dukes, the wealthy, neighbors, and the people who live here; but also to foreigners and all who come to you. For the work of piety leads you to the highest happiness.¹⁴ Be merciful to all suffering violence, always holding the example of the Lord in your soul: I desire mercy, not sacrifice (Mt. 9:13). Be patient with all, not only with the powerful, but also the powerless. Indeed, be strong, lest good fortune overwhelm you or hardship throw you down. Also, be humble, so that God may raise you on high, both here and in heaven. Be moderate, so that you neither punish nor condemn any man beyond measure. Be gentle, lest you contend with justice. Be honest, so that you may never intentionally bring disgrace to anyone. And be chaste, so that you may avoid all the foul things of lust, just as though they carried the sting of death (I Cor. 15:55-58). All these virtues, touched on above, constitute the royal crown, without which no man can hope to rule here nor reach the heavenly kingdom.