Magyar Egyház, 1957 (36. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1957-08-01 / 8-9. szám
1 to let theological students study abroad as before that they may see “our simple, personal, daily way of life”. in. It is very interesting to note, what Hromadka said about the World Council of Churches. “The Geneva Headquarters of the World Council of Churches committed grave errors — he said — in that their voice and deeds supported those (Hungarian) brothers by their sympathies and strenghtened them on their way.” If there was any error on the part of the World Council of Churches, it was certainly that the representatives of the iron curtain nations were accepted without any further questioning. These delegates traveled from one conference to another, from one continent to another, and as they posed as champions of Christianity they were the ones who elevated themselves into the offices and favors of the communist regimes by selling out their Churches’ interests. Hromadka asserted wrongly, that “those who headed the Reformed Church before Oct. 23rd, 1956 had much more authority and trust than it seemed in ecumenical circles.” To prove that this statement is utterly wrong we may refer to the fact that the self-selected and government promoted “puppet bishops” and church leaders in the Hungarian Reformed Church all disappeared after freedom was achieved. They had no authority, no trust, and no support whatsoever from the people. Some of them resigned from their offices whicn they usurped for a long time, others were reminded to do likewise, since they were not legally elected but “were railroaded” into their posts by typical communists methods. My personal opinion is, that the World Council of Churches dealt with Hromadka and with all other official representatives coming from behind the iron curtain with great patience and with admirable forebearance. At the last Central Committee Meeting of the World Council of Churches, of which Hromadka is a member, in New Haven, Connecticut, the consideration to exclude him should have been brought to pass, as it was proposed. Let me ask the question from Bible believing Christians: how long can a house be divided? Hoi long can a man serve two masters? In conclusion let us agree with Hromadka that he is right when he says, “we live in a period of great judgements on the Church and on our countries ... Even the present day is a time of grace.” Yes, God’s mercy is beyond our human imagination, because he maintains His Church despite many of the unworthy clergy who often betray the cause of the kingdom' of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Hromadka said in his new revelation about the Hungarian tragedy that he was “shocked.” The events, the attitude, and everything “shook” him so deeply that he comes back to this problem again and again. After knowing what he has said of this matter, we are also “shocked.” One of the greatest shocks is that even though he is fully aware of the countless victims of deportation, concentration camps and endless liquidations, yet he is ready not only to overlook all the sins of that system, but to actively promote their cause by trying to build a theological foundation for all these atrocities. There is perhaps a line more, that I would like to quote from him: “We have to do a great deal to bring our affairs into order.” This, I think, would be an excellent idea. So, why does not J. L. Hromadka do that? HUNGARIAN PASTOR. 12___________________________________________ MAGYAR EGYHÁZ NEWS HUNGARY Communist Paper Attacks World Council (Budapest)—Népszabadság, Hungarian Communist paper, has attacked the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches for what it called “reactionary forces” within it. The Communist paper mentioned “the disreputable attempt” on the part of some Central Committee members to remove Dr. Joseph Hromadka, dean of the Comenius Theological Faculty, Prague, Czechoslovakia, from the Council’s Executive Committee. In the voting for the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches, usually a routine affair, the name of Hromadka had been challenged by Dr. P. O. Bersell, Minneapolis, Minn., president emeritus of the Augustana Lutheran Church. He said he felt that after Hromadka’s support of Soviet intervention and attack on the World Council for its statements and actions in conection with the Hungarian crisis that the Czech theologian had no place in the “inner circle” of the WCC. The voting, which was on the entire slate of the Executive Committee and not individual members, showed seven against, 28 for, and the remainder abstentions. There were about 70 qualified to vote. E.P.S., Geneva (Two Hungarian clergymen attended the Central Committee meeting of the World Council of Churches. They were the Rev. Gyula Murakozy, director of the Office of the General Convent of the Reformed Church and general secretary of the Hungarian Ecumenical Council, and Professor László Marton Pakozdy. In New Haven, Central Committee chairman Franklin Clark Fry said that Professor Pakozdy was appointed by the Reformed Church as a substitute for committee member Professor László Pap, and Pastor Murakozy was the fraternal delegate from the Ecumenical council.) NETHERLANDS The Netherlands Council of Churches Writes to the Russian Church (The Hague) — In a letter thanking the Orthodox Russian Patriarchate of Moscow for their Easter greetings, the Netherlands Council of Churches refers to last autumn’s events in Hungary which had avoked a different reaction among the Russian and the Netherlands people. The Hungarian people wish to be free and are being kept down by military force, says the letter from the Netherlands churches to the head of the Foreign Department of the Russian Church, Metropolitan Nicolas. The churches of the Netherlands express concern lest events in Hungary should widen the gulf between the countries of East and West Europe. The sufferings of the Christian brethren of their faith in a number of countries were causing the Netherlands churches increasing uneasiness. “We regret,” writes the Netherlands Council of Churches, “that we see no prospect at the present time of taking action with you as a Church against wrong and suffering.” The Netherlands churches, the letter adds, feel themselves united with the Russian Church in Jesus Christ who has overcome whole might of death and the devil. E.P.S., Geneva
