Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 2001 (13. évfolyam, 2-43. szám)
2001-10-05 / 38. szám
AMERICAN Ifungarian Journal ANDRÉ SOBEL River of Life Foundation Award Luncheon September 13, 2001 at the Beverly Hills Hotel PHOTOREPORT BY SUSAN JANCSO MEDITATIONS by Dr. Bela Bonis Pastor (562) 430-0876 First Hungarian Reformed Church, Hawthorne Religious questions, if not commitments, regularly surface in times of great calamities and lasting duress. The terrorist attacks of September 11 led record numbers of people searching for answers to churches, synagogues and mosques. Others are struggling to make sense of it all. They are asking: "Where was God when these horrible events were unfolding?" "Why would God allow this to happen?" There are countless ready-made answers, suggesting that this nation is the agent of the Almighty imposing God’s ultimate will of wrath on those who have wronged us. However, many Christian leaders show reluctance to put their "just war" blessing on a possible U.S. military attack against Afghanistan. Certainly, those culpable must not escape accountability. But we must not, out of anger and vengeance, indiscriminately retaliate in ways that bring on even more loss of innocent life. Christian "just war" theory has its roots in the Hebrew Scriptures and the classical world. It was developed by two of the giants of Roman Catholic theology - St. Augustine, born in 394 and St. Thomas Aquinas who died in 1274. In later centuries, the whole idea of "just war" was rejected by some Christian movements that were inspired by the pacifist teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. In recent decades, many other Christians - including Roman Catholics - say the advent of weapons of mass destruction makes it much more difficult for the church to bless military campaigns. Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a letter to President Bush that the government had a "moral right" and "grave obligation to defend the common good" against terrorism. However, Fiorenza also cautioned that the U.S. military response should take into account the limitations imposed by the Catholic Church’s "just war" tradition. Too, a Vatican spokesman added that "if someone has done great harm to society... you have the right to apply self-defense for the society which you lead." It would be interesting to read carefully developed thinking of Hungarian Protestant Church leaders. (TO BE CONTINUED) VALERIE SOBEL, organizer and hostess of the luncheon, with KNBC TV’s JIM GIGGANS SERENE FELT and STEVE COBIN greeting new arrivals before the luncheon Galéria Hungarica: The Martyrs of Arad On April 19, 1849, Louis Kossuth convened the Diet at Debrecen. There the Habsburg were dethroned and he became the Governor of the Rebuplic of Hungary. In the days that followed, the Hungarian Army, under the command of General Arthur Görgei, won many battles, including the recapture of Buda and Pest. However, these victories convinced the Austrians that they needed help, and such an appeal was made to Czar Nicholas I. of Russia, who felt a holy zeal to crush any revolution against royal rule. Thus the Russians joined the Austrians to form a superiority of more than 2 to 1 over the Hungarians. Although the outmanned Hungarians fought with great bravery, they were poorly armed and were soon crushed under the weight of Austro- Russian arms. The last decisive battle was fought at Világos, a small town near Arad and on August 13, 1849, Marshal Ivan Fedorovich Paskevich declared: "Hungary lies at your majesty’s feet!" The Hungarian War of Independence was over. The victorious Habsburg were not inclined 'o be merciful towards the defeated. Retaliation was swift and brutal. Many Hungarians were tried and either executed or sentenced to long prison terms. Of all the acts of retribution, none was more shocking than the bloody events of October 6. 1849. at Arad. On that day, the Austrians executed 13 of the rebel generals in an infamoust act of revenge that has never been forgotten, even up to the present time. It was condemned all over the world and, to this day, October 6 is observed by special programs and services. Early that morning, four of the Hungarian generals were granted the "favor" of being shot, while their comrades looked on. Three of the generals, Vilmos Lazar, Aristide Dessewffy, and Joseph Schweidel died in the first volley, but Erno Kiss remained alive and bravely called out the order for the second fatal volley. Then the remaining generals were hanged one-byone: György Lahner, Károly Knézich, Ernő Pöltenbcrg, Lajos Aulich, József-NagySándor, Ignácz Török, Count Leiningen Westerburg, Joseph Damjanich and Károly Vécsey. Keynote Speaker IRVING SARNOFF, President, Friends of the United Nations. He replaced Dr. Michael Edwards, unable to attend because of the attack on America. Susanne Zada and Valerie Sobel at the Awards Luncheon TIBOR VAYDA, Valerie’s father, Andre’s grandfather, a longtime subscriber of our paper. Arnold Khan and Michel Bales with Valerie Sobel Photos: SUSAN JANCSO Gayle Webster, ASRL Project Director at the podium Third Prize Awardee Renika Hodges, who suffers from leukemia
