Magyar Egyház, 1988 (67. évfolyam, 2-4. szám)
1988-07-01 / 4. szám
8. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ GENOCIDAL ACTION OF THE RUMANIAN GOVERNMENT AGAINST HUNGARIANS IN TRANSYLVANIA Dated July 19, 1988 Bishop Harsanyi sent a detailed communication to pastors and chief elders of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America concerning the genocidal activities of the Rumanian government against Hungarians in Transylvania. We print here parts of the bishop’s message and of the enclosed documents. Grace and Peace to You from our Lord! Hungarians and non-Hungarians around the world are following with shock and with a storm of indignation the Romanian genocidal actions against the Magyars in Transylvania. The non-Hungarian language world press gives ample and continuous publicity to the issue. Besides universal Hungarian solidarity, we are primarily concerned with the persecution of our Magyar Reformed people, with the devastation of their homes, with the destruction of their cultural monuments and records. The situation has been particularly acerbated in the last months by the problems of the tens of thousands of Hungarians streaming out of Transylvania to Hungary. They are called “temporarily resettling people”; as a matter of fact they are refugees even though they are cautiously not called by that name. These people are cared for by the churches, primarily by the Reformed Church of Hungary; there is, however, a close cooperation with the Hungarian government and the Hungarian Red Cross. All this is no news to our Hungarian Reformed Churches in the United States and in Canada. Proof of this is that our congregations are continuously sending gifts to the care centers of the Church set up in Budapest, Debrecen and Miskolc. First of these gifts was the one sent by my Bishop’s Special Fund in the amount of One Thousand Dollars. By now this assistance has grown to several Thousands of Dollars. Gifts can be sent either through our Mission Fund Treasurer — Ms. Priscilla Hunyady, 50 No. Washington Ave., Colonia, NJ 07067 — who will promptly forward such gifts by noting the sender’s name; or, by sending your check directly to Reformátusok Lapja, H-1395, Budapest 62, Pf. 424, earmarked for “Transylvanian Center Assistance.” The Rev. Attila Komlós, Editor, will promptly take care and acknowledge your gift in the Reformátusok Lapja. In any case, please, let Ms. Hunyady know of your gift so she can record it for summary credit to the annual missionary giving. Among other documents you will find highly important material issued by the Geneva Central Office of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches: letter to the Rumanian president Ceausescu and two press releases. These are significant because world church organizations have so far only cautiously raised their voices in the interest of Magyar Reformed people in Transylvania. I wish to greet you with the words from a 16. century hymn by Tinódi Lantos Sebestyén. The prayer-line “Zörgessetek buzgón Isten ajtaján” could be translated: “Fervently knock upon the door of God!” (Signed) Andrew Harsanyi, Bishop Enclosed were, among other copies of these documents: 1. Letter of the General Secretary, Dr. Edmond Perret, World Alliance of Reformed Churches, Geneva, Switzerland to member churches of the Alliance, dated June 14, 1988: WORLD ALLIANCE OF REFORMED CHURCHES 150, route de Ferney, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland TO: WARC member churches RE: Situation in Romania We recently heard the disturbing news that the Government intends to destroy 7,000 out of the 13,000 Romanian villages and replace them by agro-industrial complexes. This plan, if implemented, will have disastrous consequences, destroying traditions, culture, language, etc. particularly for minorities. We have sent a letter both to His Excellency, Nicolae Ceausescu, President of the Socialist Republic of Romania, and to President I. Cumpanasu, head of the Department of Cults, which was signed by Drs. Allan A. Boesak, Karel Blei (President of our European Area), and myself. The letter expresses our dismay at this decision and urges the government to rescind it. We have also issued a press release, a copy of which is sent to you all. Please find enclosed copies of: — the letter to President Nicolae Ceausescu and to Mr. I. Cumpanasu; — the WARC Press Releases of April 15 and June 15. I would be very grateful if you would support this action by writing or cabling to President N. Ceausescu. Yours sincerely, (Signed) Dr. Edmond Perret General Secretary + 2. COPY OF THE LETTER SENT TO ROMANIAN PRESIDENT N. CEAUSESCU WORLD ALLIANCE OF REFORMED CHURCHES 150, route de Ferney, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland General Secretariat President: Dr. Alan A. Boesak General Secretary: Dr. Edmond Perret Geneva, June 14, 1988 His Excellency Nicolae Ceausescu President of the Socialist Republic of Romania Bucarest, Romania Mr. President, In the name of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, representing 164 churches and 70 million members worldwide, we express our deep dismay over the Romanian government’s decision to destroy 7,000 out of 13.000 villages, to be replaced by agro-industrial complexes. This decision, if implemented, can only serve to tear apart the fabric of society; it violates human and civil rights and will deprive thousands of peoples of their traditions, cultural heritage and language. We are acutely aware
