Reformátusok Lapja, 1969 (69. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1969-04-01 / 4. szám
REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 13 statesmen, writers, poets and artists have been educated within its walls. .. The Great Library of the Reformed Church Diocese is also housed in the College Building. This library was founded in the 16th century and contains approximately 300,000 volumes and books of great rarity.. . The main building of the College was constructed between 1803-1817 by the same architect who also designed the Great Church in front of the college which is the largest Reformed church edifice in Hungary: 184 feet long, 56 feet wide, 174 feet high, capable of holding 5,000 persons, the left tower housing the largest and heaviest bell in the country (5.6 tons...) Close to the College is the Reformed Grammar School, erected in 1913, which also had a Secondary School department and a famous natural science museum. This building was turned over to the Government in 1967 when the Hungarian Reformed Church celebrated the 400th anniversary of its organized life. . . In the wooded part of the city which is known as Nagyerdő, set amongst gracious lawns and fountains, are located the vast buildings of the University which has grown out of the College of Debrecen. Although the foundation of a university was considered as early as 1870, the idea could not be put into practice before 1912. The beautiful central building housed the faculties of Liberal Arts, Law, Medicine and Theology, being the only place where theological training was an integral part of university education. (Perhaps this is the reason why local patriotism is not as strong in the Debrecen-trained ministers as among those who were trained in theological seminaries!)... The University of Debrecen still conducts Summer Extension Courses which are attended by many foreign students, but no longer has a department of theology which was forced to return to the College! ... The “school of the country” became the “school of the poor” again: in dire need of renovating even the building itself. Thus our Calvin Synod decided to raise a fund of $5,000 for this purpose. But more than money they need our prayers so that the Debrecen College might become again the heart of the city and the centre of Reformed faith, with the destinies of the land! ... The armorial bearings of Debrecen since the Reformation is a lamb with the banner of victory. The whole Reformed Church of Hungary adopted this symbol later on, quite properly: “For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us.” (Rom. 8:36- 37). In this fact we have our hope and confidence as we who know and love Debrecen, pray and work for its peace and restoration. .. Dr. John Butosi GENEVA’S MIXED REACTION TO REFORMED-ROMAN SERVICE Geneva — The joint service held by the Dutch Protestant congregation of Geneva together with Roman Catholics in the city, on the occasion of the week of prayer for Christian unity, has met with varied reactions in Reformed circles here. While it has been positively welcomed by many, critical voices have also been raised, and “Le Messager Social”, a Genevan Protestant weekly asks, in a frontpage article whether it is right that “a Roman Catholic priest should have preached from the same spot where Calvin raised his voice against errors” in the Roman Catholic Church. (The service was held in the Calvin Auditorium which is the home of the Dutch as well as of three other foreign-language congregations). The pastor of one of the Geneva churches, the Rev. Roger Sauty, read a statement from his pulpit before worship on January 19, in which he spoke of “premature fraternization, and a dangerously ambiguous ecumenism”. Mr. Sauty wants to know whether “the executive council of the Geneva Protestant church intend to neglect the continuing protest of those who believe that they have the right to worship God in the way that has been characteristic of protestantism so far”. The Rev. C. M. de Vries, one of the Dutch WCC staff members, who wrote the January editorial of “Contact”, the newsletter of the Dutch congregation, said: “We have reached a point of no return, we can only go forward.” Referring to next year’s week of prayer for Christian unity, Mr. de Vries advocates “thorough and therefore early preparation, in order to devise a broader plan which would include not only common prayer, but common action, in accordance with the will of the Saviour whom together we confess”. The Dutch church council, in a statement, said: “Something happened in Calvin’s Auditorium that morning which cannot be adequately described ... we have all experienced it as a gift of grace. It is clear that we have reached a milestone; we are on the move. This was without exception the reaction in conversations after the service...” The statement concluded: “... imagine our joy when (as Protestants and Roman Catholics) we said the creed together. There is only one way of summing up what has happened: we look forward to the common sharing of the Lord’s table”. RPPS
