Tárogató, 1949-1950 (12. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1949-07-01 / 1-2. szám
TÁROGATÓ IS served only as an expedience, and were calculated to camouflage the real issue as indicated by four years’ struggle between communism and the Cardinal, and which for this very reason refute themselves. Charges which are but disguises of charges are not real charges, they serve only to side-track attention from the real charges which are not even mentioned. The charges at the trial were as follows (I quote the government’s Black Book, p.20, in their own English translation): He was accused: A) of having committed once continuously the crime of having directed an organization which aimed at the overthrow of the democratic order and of the Republic, falling under etc. B) of having committed once continuously the crime of treason defined in Law etc., and once the same crime, defined in Law etc. C) of having committed once continously the crime of failing to declare foreign currencies and speculating, defined in decree of the prime minister, etc. The first charge was that the Cardinal wanted to overthrow the Republic and restore the Hapsburg rule in Hungary. Let us consider it. I do not know if the Cardinal is pro- Hapsburg or not, very likely he is. So are others, very many Hungarians, and I would not be surprised if after the experiences of the past years the majority of the Hungarian people were legitimists. After all, the declaration of the republican form of state was not done on the basis of the peole’s vote, hence its validity is at the least questionable. But whether it is valid or not, as long as the government has all the power, supported by its army and police and supported by Soviet Russia, no sane person would try without arms to overthrow anything which is supported by a formidable army. Any legitimist movement in Hungary, as long as that country is a Russian satellite, must be a purely spiritual movement undefiled by any matter. If we did not face grim reality in these communist trials, we would regard this accusation as a colossal joke by the government to cheer up their mournful people. No, it was no joke! The president of the Court, a former ardent Nazi who joined the communist party when the Red Army marched into Hungary in 1945 (who therefore must act as an obedient servant of the government if he does not want to hang for his previous naziactivities) said quite seriously: “In June 1947, under the pretext of visiting the congress of the Virgin Mary at Ottawa, he (the Cardinal) travelled first to Canada and then to the United States, where Pál Zsámboky, an old acquaintance, the confessor of the Hapsburg house, arranged a meeting with Zita, the widow of Charles Hapsburg and with Otto Hapsburg. These meetings took place and those present agreed on how the overthrow of the Republic might best be organized. They also agreed that for the attainment of this political end, József Mindszenty should contact Mr. Seiden Chapin, American Ambassador to Hungary”. “Upon his return tó Budapest, the Legitimist organisation was founded. In addition to József Mindszenty, its leaders were Jusztin Baranyai, József Cziráky and other Legitimist politicians”. (Black Book pp. 22- 23). At least, American readers may laugh at this accusation hurled against the U.S.A. as represented by Mr. Seiden Chapin. I know personally the Rev. Dr. Justin Baranyay, a Cistercian priest who was professor of Canon Law at the Theological Faculty of the University of Budapest. I know that he is and has been all his life long (he is now 67) an exceptionally correct priest, a scrupulous follower of moral principles, and never in his life did he organize anything which was connected with force. He stated at the trial, at which he was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for trying to restore the Hapsburgs, that all the Cardinal told him on his return from the Marian Congress was: “His majesty sends you his regards”, and when the Cardinal left for Ottawa, Otto Hapsburg’s name was not even mentioned between them. (Black Book, p. 42). The trial was a bitter farce and a great lesson to that part of the world which is fortunate enough not to be dominated by communism. It was a farce because for the real charge was
