Hungarian Church Press, 1950 (2. évfolyam, 4-13. szám)
1950-07-15 / 12-13. szám
Hungarian Church Press • appreciate that new world-shaping force which is called Socialism, and she will he ready to accept the truth of Socialism. I am too familiar with the question all this evokes: do I really mean that one had to swallow neck and crop and to say yes to all that is happening in our time? Then come the dignified theological arguments as to the prophetic function of the Church and the question whether I meant the identification of the Church With the world whereas the Church consisted of those who are called out /ekklesia!/ of this world. I know these questions, and let me say that I faced them earlier /especially between 1940 and 1944/ than most of my antagonists. And, alas, I also know the mentality and attitude which motivate these questions. 1 recall the well-lr.own line of Goethe: "Man merkt die Absicht lind wird verst irmát», one notices the intention and ’Becomes disheartened. Yet, all these notwithstanding, I am ready to answer these objections. I am ready to answer, and, with me all those are ready to give their answer who follow the line of repentance, thanksgiving and service, the only line of action that is worthy of the Church. And my answer is this: I do not approve of overything that is happening to-day, and nobody expects this of me» I do not desert the prophetic function of the Church, and I do not forget that the Church, inasmuch she is really the Church of Jesus Christ, is not identical with the world. Yet it is not this that I place the emphasis upon . neither find I it necessary to lose so many words to prove that the Church has no right to prophesy in such a manner in which some people would have the inclination to "prophesy" or have others "prophesy" for them. As early as in the summer of 1948, half a year before the arrest of Cardinal Mindszenty, I wrote in a leaflet published by the General Conventus; "ill who are doing this - e. g. the Cardinal - are bearing the marks of false prophecy, including popularity, and also of what Jeremiah spoke thus: ’’Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saj/th the lord" /Jeremiah 23:32 sqq./ I think I may ask hopefully the men in our church, especially the pastors, now, in I950j to consider very seriously what I said in 1948 about the right attitude, of our church. The reason for not placing the emphasis upon criticism and our differing from-the world xs that, as far as I see, it is not from this corner that our faith and conduct is endangered. The men of the church, if they arc not totally blind, have plenty of opportunity to observe how much open and fearfully courageous criticism and ’'self-criticism'’ is offered almost daily to the readers of the chief Communist organ, the Szabad Hép. I wish wo had the frankness and courage to do our part, in this respect, on our ground, In our manner, and, of course, against ourselves! This would be repentance and brotherly warning and even church-dise-v-n'i ino. But are we really doing this? Unless we do this first, wo might be looking for the mote which is in the world's eye, and nor <. ‘ -’erlng the beam that is in Gui* own eyes. - As to the discharging the prophetic function
