Hungarian Church Press, 1950 (2. évfolyam, 4-13. szám)
1950-07-15 / 12-13. szám
-5-power to make this fight, which broke out agaihst their will, nothing but a »'political fight which is directed against one of the moat important fifth columns of the imperialists, and not against religion, or faith, or generally against the church.,. It is in the interests of our developing Socialism, of'the defence of peace, -- continues Joseph Révai in his well-known speech, - that we preserve and strengthen, just as we have done heretofore, the unity of the working people, irrespective of denominations and religious convictions and that we should prevent anybody from weakening the unity of the Hungarian workers on denominational or religious grounds. We must unmask the clerical reaotion as a political reaction which uses religion as a mere screen...We shall respect, just as we have always done, religious oonvlotion and shall realize the full freedom of religion in the life of the state”. In this notable speech, the passages which concerns us reads as follows: "The agreement with the Protestant churches is invariably in effect and is functioning well. This agreement proves, that the People’s Republic seeuros, in full measure, the freedom of religion, and the churches, inasmuch they have not sold themselves, as accomplices to foreign rind interior reaction, can live in peace and are able to discharge their tasks in the people's democracy. Yet there are reactionary efforts in the Protestant churches too. In many places, the kulaks constitute the majority of the consistories; some of the Protestant ministers chose to follow, in connection with the Fourth of April, the example of the Catholic reaction, and the election of reactionary politicians of the Horthy regime into the leading positions of the Protestant churches shews,that tho reaction. in still struggling for a foothold in those Churches in order that it may use them as battering rams against the walls of tho People’s Republic". Wo have no reason to deny that tho serious struggle is still going on in our church to make people accept tho right attitudo and to realize its consequences. We have often said this within cur church, on conferences, ci> the official f~rum of our church, in our papers. Wo cannot now refei’ to that very serious inner change that is taking place in our church, significantly raising tho number cf those people who can new see clearly and are willing to assume the true service if the church which is not an impeding but a propelling force in the life of our people, let me quote a se,.tenoe from my installation address: "It is my conviction that the less we devote ourselves to cur tasks, tho easier we succumb to the temptations". The temptations have become more numerous and more dangerous. Yot we hqjre, at the same time, the advantage of seeing more clearly than several years ago. .venire confident that tho road which we chose, by a bold decision, is the road of obedience to the will of God. It is now our task to walk much more resolutely and much more consequently on tho road on which wo have been able to make a. few steps. We have been, even until now, very careful not to drive believing people into insoluble and unbearable conflicts of conscience. We shall have to be even more careful and solicitous in this respect. The more we devote ourselves to our tasks, the less we shall be prone to our temptations, I wish Hungarian Church Press
