The Story of the Holy Right Hand

Among Hungary’s national relics, perhaps none is surrounded by as much reverence and mystery as the Holy Right Hand. The mummified right hand of King Saint Stephen has, over the centuries, become known not only as a sacred religious artifact but also as a powerful symbol of national identity. This virtual exhibition presents the remarkable history, veneration, and adventurous fate of this unique relic — from medieval legends to present-day pilgrimages.

From the Beginnings to the 18th Century

The Holy Right Hand — the naturally preserved, mummified right hand of King Saint Stephen — became one of the most important sacred and political relics of the Hungarian Kingdom from the mid-11th century onward. Following King Stephen’s death in 1038, his tomb was opened in 1083 by King Ladislaus I (later canonized himself), as part of the canonization process. It was during this exhumation that the right hand, separated from the body yet remarkably intact, was discovered. Its extraordinary condition earned it immediate reverence. According to medieval chronicles, a canon from Székesfehérvár secretly took the relic and transported it to his estate in Bihar County. The matter was ultimately resolved by King Saint Ladislaus, who recovered the Holy Right on May 30, 1084. He entrusted his son, Prince Álmos, with building a stone monastery to replace the previous wooden structure — a fitting sanctuary for such a national treasure.

117607.jpg Initially, the relic was kept in the basilica of Székesfehérvár, but by the 12th century it had been moved to the Holy Right Monastery in Bihar, where a special chapel was built for its safekeeping. Over the following centuries, the Holy Right disappeared and reappeared several times, its fate closely intertwined with the turbulent course of Hungarian history. In the early 15th century, the relic returned to Székesfehérvár. However, when the city fell to the Ottomans in 1543, the Holy Right was likely seized as well. It is believed the Turks sold the relic to Ragusan (Dubrovnik) merchants, as records show that by 1590 it was kept in Ragusa. There, Dominican monks who safeguarded the relic commissioned a silver reliquary to house the Holy Right.

The Events of 1771 – The Return of the Holy Right

725407.jpgIn 1771, a pivotal moment occurred in the history of the Holy Right: under the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, the relic was brought back from Ragusa in Dalmatia (present-day Dubrovnik) to Hungary. The Empress personally ensured that the national relic associated with Saint Stephen would once again be accessible to the Hungarian faithful. The route of its return was rich in symbolic meaning: the relic was placed briefly in Győr and then in Pannonhalma, allowing the faithful to pay their respects. Eventually, it was ceremoniously enshrined in the Chapel of Saint Sigismund in the Royal Castle of Buda. This event held not only religious but national significance: the return of the Holy Right strengthened national identity as a symbol of Christian Hungarian statehood. The occasion became a memorable milestone in the veneration of the relic and laid the foundations for the tradition of processions that would follow. It also marked the beginning of a renewed cult of Saint Stephen, which in the following decades would come to play an increasingly prominent role in public life. The return of the Holy Right thus represented a reaffirmation of Hungary’s sacred historical memory.

The Tradition of Saint Stephen’s Day Processions and the Reliquary

765846.jpgThe significance of the celebration further increased during the reign of Emperor Francis I, when in 1818 the day was declared a public holiday, with a status similar to that of Sundays. That same year, the first official Holy Right procession was held in Buda. In 1819, Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary, introduced detailed regulations for the event, including a decree that members of the social elite and high-ranking officials were required to attend. By the celebration of 1848, members of the Hungarian government were also present. However, following the defeat of the War of Independence, the processions were banned until 1860. Once the ban was lifted, the Holy Right processions experienced a renaissance: the events held at Buda Castle attracted nationwide attention, and during this period, many of the traditions that define the modern celebrations were established. In 1862, the current reliquary of the Holy Right was completed, designed by Joseph Lippert, chief architect of the Primate. This ornate, chapel-like Gothic masterpiece continues to house the preserved right hand of Saint Stephen in a manner befitting its sacred status.

Saint Stephen’s Day Processions from the 20th Century to the Present Day

8176.jpgIn the first half of the 20th century, the Holy Right processions became defining events in Hungary’s religious and national life. In 1938, to commemorate the 900th anniversary of King Saint Stephen’s death, a solemn memorial year was declared. It began after the conclusion of the 34th International Eucharistic Congress, held in May 1938.
On May 29, 1938, during the closing Mass of the global congress at Heroes’ Square in Budapest, the Holy Right was present, serving as a fitting centerpiece for the celebration. The following day, on May 30 — the Day of the Holy Right — a solemn Mass was held in front of the Parliament, where the relic was brought in procession before being carried once more to Heroes’ Square.

On May 31, a new historical milestone was reached: the Holy Right was transported by boat to Esztergom for the first time, marking the beginning of a multi-year nationwide pilgrimage. Between 1938 and 1942, the relic traveled aboard the so-called “Golden Train,” visiting the major cities of historical Hungary, strengthening both national identity and Christian tradition. By 1944, due to the escalating threat of air raids during World War II, the processions could no longer be held.

At the end of the Second World War, the Holy Right — along with the Hungarian coronation regalia — was taken to Austria for safekeeping, and only returned to Hungary in 1945. In the immediate postwar years, the processions resumed for a brief period. One of the most significant was held in 1947, when nearly half a million people participated in the ceremony led by Cardinal József Mindszenty.

However, on December 26, 1947, Cardinal Mindszenty was arrested, and a show trial was launched against him. His removal effectively barred him from ever again participating in the Saint Stephen’s Day ceremonies on Hungarian soil.
With his absence, the political leadership seemed, for a time, unconcerned about the potential societal impact of the August 20th religious celebrations. In fact, a procession was still held in 1949 — this time in the Buda Castle district. However, the event took place among war-torn ruins, without church leadership, and entirely under state supervision. It would be the last time the Holy Right procession was held in Buda.

From 1950 onward, the communist regime no longer tolerated even minimal public religious expression. The processions were banned, and the August 20th festive Masses could only be held indoors, behind closed doors, for decades — within the deteriorating Saint Stephen’s Basilica, in the presence of the Holy Right but without public participation.

The Revival of Tradition – After the Political Transition

78268.jpgOn August 20, 1989 — on the eve of the political transition — the Holy Right procession was held once again. Since then, it has become one of the most prominent events of Hungary’s national holiday. Although there were a few years when the procession did not take place (for example, in 2007, 2020, and 2022), the celebratory Mass on August 20 is, in nearly every year, followed by the solemn procession of the Holy Right around Saint Stephen’s Basilica.

A new moment of historical significance occurred in 1991, when Pope John Paul II visited Hungary and took part in the procession. The event was unique: the relic of Saint Stephen was transported from the Basilica to Heroes’ Square in the so-called “Popemobile” — a fitting symbol of the strengthening relationship between the Hungarian Church and the Vatican.

On April 28, 2023, Pope Francis also paid special tribute to the Holy Right. During his visit to Budapest, he met with the Hungarian episcopal conference, priests, deacons, monks, seminarians, and pastoral workers at Saint Stephen’s Basilica. At the end of the gathering, the Pope took the relic in his own hands and kissed it — expressing his deep reverence for Saint Stephen and Hungarian Christianity.

L. G.

Sources:

The Holy Right Hand

The Surprisingly Varied History of the Holy Right Processions

The Incredible Story of the Holy Right

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