Egyháztörténeti Szemle 13. (2012)
2012 / 4. szám - SUMMARIES IN ENGLISH - Nagy Gábor: Learning from those who lost. Catholics in the 16th century Swedish Kingdom - Tózsa-Rigó Attila: Effects of the Reformation on the practice of civil testamentary arrangements according to sources from Bratislava (Pozsony) and Vienna (Wien)
Summaries in English Summaries in English Learning from those who lost. Catholics in the 16th century Swedish Kingdom Nagy, Gábor At the turn of the i6th-i7th centuries, while in the Hungarian Kingdom three religions lived side by side, in the Swedish Kingdom Augsburg con- fessionism became exclusive and the persecution of Catholics increased continuously. In today's Sweden the Lutheran Church (Svenska kyrkan) is a prominent carrier and protector of the values associated with liberal democracy - to familiarize ourselves with its past may therefore be especially useful in present day Hungary. This study outlines the change of religion in the 16th century Swedish Kingdom, based on the critical analys of a few contemporary sources, most importantly two letters. The first had been written by the former Catholic priest, Johannes Pauli Montigena from his captivity in Tavastehus to Rome in 1556. The letter was addressed to the most famous Scandinavian humanist, Olaus Magnus, who lived in exile and was by title the archbishop of Uppsala. Montigena hoped he would help the waning church and country. This letter is evocative of how the position of the church changed during Gustav’s rule (1523-1560). In the second letter, in 1578 Johannes Jussoila, studying in Rome, sent icons to his family living in Raumo, admonishing them to persevere in the true faith. The dating of this letter relates to the fact that the Swedish king John III was negotiating with Philip II about an alliance, and also bargaining with Rome about bringing his country closer to the Catholic religion. This way, even if only for a short time, the Jesuit Laurentius Nicolai Norvegus (Klosterlasse) and Antonio Possevino played a prominent role in Swedish history. The study, as and aside, discusses how at the turn of the century a situation that was tragic for the Catholics came about, and discusses also briefly what we can learn from the present day descendants of the contemporary winners. Among the sources a draft prepared for Cardinal Campeggio and kept in the Vatican archives (Nonnullae considerationes...) is brought up as well. In the opinion of the author this is not from 1544/45, as we can read in the Swedish literature, but probably from 1537. Effects of the Reformation on the practice of civil testamentary arrangements according to sources from Bratislava (Pozsony) and Vienna (Wien) Tózsa Rigó, Attila The relevant international literature steadily represents the standpoint according to which the German-speaking towns had an outstanding importance in the spreading of the Reformation. It is essential to analyse those sources that enable us to learn the appearance of the Reformation and its effect on the community from within the town communities.
