Magyar Hírek, 1986 (39. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)

1986-08-18 / 16. szám

ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE PREVIOUS ONE

Following the death of Cardinal László Lékai, archbishop of Esztergom, Chairman of the Hungarian Bench of Bishops, his role in Hungarian public life was reviewed in the Hungarian section of the previous issue by Sándor Lintner, whose obituary was lent extra weight by the fact that he made a portrait film of the Cardinal a few years ago for Hungarian Television, and on that occasion he spent a considerable time in contact with him at Esztergom and in Rome.

“Succisa virescit”-the pollarded . tree will green-was what László Lékai chose as his motto as a bishop, wishing to symbolize his personal destiny and the situation of the Hungarian Catholic Church, he chose a pollarded tree taking root in a Hungarian-style jug as the design of arms. “His programme-giving motto matured to reality ina single decade, the Hungarian Catholic Church has grown, enriched its folj lowers and socialist Hungary, under the care of Cardinal László Lékai“ wrote Sándor Lintner. “The fruitful good relations, which developed between the Hungarian state and the Church are marked by a whole series of restored historic buildings, new churches and the growing role of priests in public life.”

László Lékai studied theology at the Gregorian University in Rome starting in 1928. and he took a doctor’s degree there. He was the bishop’s secretary in Veszprém and later was in charge of parishes in Balatonlelle, Zalaszentiván and Badacsonytomaj. He was consecrated bishop of Veszprém in 1972. He was subsequently transferred to Esztergom, in 1976 by Pope Paul VI who appointed him Cardinal.

“He was a realist prelate” wrote Sándor Lintner, “who favoured the policy of small steps. He started and

developed a creative dialogue between believers and non-believers, showing an example to representatives of extremes. He began his work in the vacant archiepiscopal seat by renouncing the title of Prince Primate. He did that under the conviction that his objective was not just to conserve his Church, but to awaken it to new life, to inspire it for new tasks”.

László Lékai was a Hungarian to the core, he loved his people and his country. In his article Sándor Lintner recalled his words about the relations of state and Church: “There exists a balance in the relation of state and Church, which one would not find in every country. This is based on the circumstance that there is enough food on every table, and that rooms are heated in winter. Neither old people nor children are hungry or shiver with cold. Who produced this good Hungarian bread? The bakers who are churchgoers and bakers who are not. But Catholic bakers did not want to bake special bread for Catholics, and atheist bakers did not want to bake bread only for the tables of other atheists. They all baked Hungarian bread for Hungarians. The Hungarian Catholic Church follows in the footsteps of Christ, but it is wearing its own shoes!”

Cardinal László Lékai had worked hard to maintain the links between the World Church and the Hungarian Catholic Church. He consercrated the Chapel of Our Lady of the Hungarians in the crypt of St Peter’s also as a special place for Hungarians dispersed all over the world. Visitors to the chapel will forever remember the common heritage of Hungarians, and also one of the great personalities of modern Hungary, the noble figure of Cardinal László Lékai!

The Holy Crown of Hungary is the subject of an article by Péter Ruffy. It was prompted by a reader’s letter to the Editor commenting on the cross on the crown. The writer of the letter said that it originally stood straight and was bent only many centuries later, when it was buried after the 1848/49 Revolution failed, in order to hide it from the Habsburgs.

Ruffy probes into the origin of the crown on the basis of Hungarian and foreign scholarly works. It was believed for centuries—he writes— that the crown was the treasure that Pope Sylvester II sent to Saint Stephen, the first king of Hungary. This view was modified later, and it was said that while the upper part of the crown could really have been the Crown of St Stephen—that is that it dates back to the 11th century—the lower part of it was of Byzantine origin and was given to King Géza in the 12th century by the Emperor Michael Ducas. In our days György Györffy advanced the theory that the crown used at the coronation of St Stephen was an open hoopcrown, since the king was shown with such a crown on his head on a contemporary chasuble, which later became the coronation robe. The hop-crown was seized by Henry III, the Holy Roman Emperor, and he sent it back to Rome. The upper part of the present Holy Crown—according to Györffy— could have been a funerary crown for St Stephen, which became united with the Greek crown of later origin after the remains of the ruler were exhumed. The American art historian Patrick J. Kelleher on the other hand argued that the upper part of the Holy Crown was originally part of the binding of a MMS of the age of St Stephen.

Coming back to the cross on the Crown, its first authentic representation in the early part of the 17th century shows it in the erect position. The first surviving description, also from the early part of the 17th century, makes no mention of it being bent. The prevailing assumption is that a blow caused a crack in the bands of the upper part of the crown and that caused the inclination of the cross. Of course, all these are only of minor importance. The essential thing is that the Holy Crown has beem the symbol of the state of Hungary. Since it was returned from the United States, that is in the past eight years, a total of more than five million people has see the crown on display in the Hungarian National Museum, together with the other regalia. Further hundreds of thousands go there on this pilgrimage every year.

The centenary festivities of the William Penn Association were held on the 24th of May, 1986 in Pitts(* it/< nnttt/ '('< /<’/uaficn

F

Centennial Celebration Banquet

and

May 23-25, 1986

Centennial Committee Bowling Committee

burgh: the “Verhovay Aid Union", the predecessor of “William Penn” was founded by thirteen Hungarian immigrant miners a hundred years ago.

One thousand and one hundred invited guests took part in the festivities in a big hall of the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. After words of welcome by Gay B Banes, president of the Association, Vencel Házi, Ambassador of the Hungarian People’s Republic in Washington addressed the meeting. He emphasises that The William Penn Association - and its predecessors - have been a source of material assistance for their members since hundred years but they also contributed to the maintenance of their Hungarian cultural heritage.

Jenő Randé, General Secretary of the World Association of Hungarians, in his address, stated: “In Hungary as well as in the United States the Founding Fathers of the Association are remembered with respect; they built a firm base permitting the preservation of the Hungarian language and heritage by their successors for a century.” After speaking Jenő Randé handed over a sculpture by István Szabó Junior, the grift of the World Association of Hungarians.

President Reagan, in a letter addressed to the Association, praised the founders and the present members and executives of William Penn emphasizing that they acted on their own initiative, visualising their problems, and obtaining the means towards the solution of their aims.

After an address by Mary Machary, Deputy Legal Councillor at the State Department, awards were handed to some veteran members of the William Penn Association and a merry get-to-gether with Gypsy music and Hungarian folk songs followed.

Z. H.

29