Magyar Egyház, 1993 (72. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)

1993-10-01 / 4. szám

12. oldal

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

COMMEMORATING THE BUILDER OF THE KINGDOM

OF HUNGARY

(Presented at the memorial service in the Oxnam Chapel, Washington, D.C., August 19, 1993.)

“A sagittis Hungarorum libera nos, Domine” was the cry of people of the Western countries in the 10th century, repeatedly raided by roughriding Magyars, who just recently had settled in the Carpathian basin. By the end of the century, the fears of the Western neighbors changed into admiration. This change was achieved to completion during the principality of Geza, the last chieftain of the century. The era of raids into the West - as far as the present Italy and Switzerland - brought home not only slaves and rich spoilage but also taught the Hungarians, particularly the two great defeats of Lech and Augsburg, that settled agricultural life and political structure was enduring while nomadic lifestyle was not lasting. Furthermore, bad relations with the Greek emperor for the last 24 years and relative tranquil relations with the West for 16 years, influenced Geza that the only solution for the future was to tie his people’s fate to Western Christianity. His own and his family’s baptism was not an act of faith but of political intuition. Geza was not a rex Christianus yet, Hungary had become part of Christian Europe. The conversion of land and people began in 972. The son of Geza, Vajk, born probably in 975, was baptized together with his father in 985. Vajk, Stephen in baptism, was born and baptized in Esztergom. Geza secured a Christian - and also political marriage for Stephen, Bavarian Henry’s sister, Gizella, as wife. Emperor Otto III. agreed to this in 996 and soon after Stephen’s wedding to Gizella, Geza died in 997.

Stephen was consciously a Christian and believed his God given task to be the Christianization of the Hungarian people. To be noted: the documents and charters of Stephen began with the words “regnante divina dementia”, the famous Admonitions to his son “in nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi.” The regal documents introducing “In nomine Sanctae Trinitatis et individuae Unitatis” used this formula only from the time of Bela III.

In the concept of Stephen, the grace of God rules through Christ. To signify the rule according to the idea of that age crown and kingdom was needed. It is generally believed that Stephen turned to the Pope in farsighted and unparalleled wisdom instead of asking the Emperor for the crown to make his kingdom independent. Not quite so. Stephen believed to be the ruler of his people by divine calling. Therefore he must have asked the

Pope for the royal crown. The Emperor did not have the power to grant a royal crown. His power was to create kings out of his vassals, to grant uninheritable royal titles, like the eastern emperors had. In one word, the emperor’s power did not extend to mediate the grace of God. The Emperor’s task was to strengthen the church against external, pagan foes, the Pope’s task was to secure God’s power for the Emperor to be victor over the enemies of the church.

Together with the Pope Emperor Otto III labored for the idea of a New Rome, a new universal Christian empire embracing the entire world under the guidance and leadership of the Pope and the Emperor of Rome. The peaceful cooperation of all Christian people was needed. This idea was supported by the new Hungarian king who in turn wanted independence without the subjugation to other rulers. This did not mean an anti-emperor stand. Later, Stephen did not hesitate to drive out emperor Conrad II from his land when Conrad attacked him (even occupying Vienna for a while).

Stephen was strong-handed, determined, he worked incessantly for Christianity. His codes of law express in greater part his own conception. He was building a Christian kingdom on a pagan foundation. There he was not an imitator of foreign political structures. He broke up opposition of the old system, yet he was no reckless reformer. His laws persecuted all customs that were infringement on Christian morals. Yet, he was not a blood-handed converter. This should be noted because many contemporary rulers were Christianizing their people and were warriors with bloodstained hands - St. Olaf, Kanut the Great, Boleslav the Brave, Bretislav, St. Wladimir, fighting each other and fighting among themselves. Stephen did not lead any military expedition to conquer foreign lands.

In this Christianization efforts, Stephen was forcefully supported by the Benedictines, all imbued by the Cluny-reform, the movement of spiritual reform of the Church. If records are correct, Stephen was in personal contact with St. Odilo, abbot of Cluny. The Benedictine monks were not only deeply religious and of moral strength; they also taught agriculture and handicraft. They were loved and supported by King Stephen who had the character of the ruler of the Augustinian Civitas Dei.

According to the Admonitions to his son the king must be first of all the diligent keeper of the apostolic faith. Anybody who wants or tries to take away or add to the structure of the Trinity, or