Calvin Synod Herald, 1976 (76. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1976-01-01 / 1-2. szám
REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 3 A DECADE OF MOURNING IN HUNGARY (Excerpts from the book, “Heroes of Our Faith” by János Bottyán, Bp. 1971) Translated by Bishop John Butosi The Counter-Reformation often condemned Protestants to large-scale galley slavery. In 1493, Cardinal Albert de Cremona, the papal legate set fire to the forest in which fifteen thousand Valdens Protestants had found refuge; the fifteen survivors were sent to the galleys... When the Waldens movement, at the arrival of the Reformation, was revived around 1520, seven hundred of them were chained to the oars of the galleys ... From among the Hungarian Protestants mostly pastors and teachers were driven to the galleys. The culmination of these persecutions took place in the so-called “Decade of Mourning” (1671-1681). First a book was published (1671) which tried to make the reader believe that the Peace Treaty of Vienna (1608) was no longer valid in regard to religious freedom because the Protestants violated the provisions. This was a false accusation, but it created violent hostility against Protestant leaders. Dean János Száki of Ekel was burned as a torch of Nero and his wife beheaded after cruel torturings all because they were falsely accused for the outbreak of a fire. In Csepreg, the whole worshiping congregation was massacred by Habsburg soldiers recruited against the Turks. Then a special law court was set at Pozsony (Pressburg now Bratislava) in 1673 for the purpose of prosecuting Protestant pastors and teachers who were accused of participating in the so-called Wesselenyi-conspiracy intended to overthrow the Habsburg calvin urn AI [\ synod HtryALL/ Raformátusok Lap|a official Orván Of TV* Calvin Sy**d - UnltaW Oiwrdi #f Cfcritf F»iw4ad In 1*00 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1976 VOLUME 76, No. 1-2 Published bi-monthly. Edltor-ln-Chlef: The Eight Reverend Dr. John Butosi, Bishop 21 Lexington Avenue. South Norwalk, Conn. 06854 EDITOR: REV. FRANCIS VITÉZ 493 Amboy Ave., Perth Amboy, N. J. 08861 Phone: (201) 826-3513 Subscription—Előfizetés: yearly—évi: Individual: $5.00, group: $3.50. Printed by Standard Press, New Brunswick, N. J. Second class postage paid at New Brunswick, N. J. 08901 Send Form 3579 to Calvin Synod Herald — Reformátusok Lapja, Circulation Department, Parker Offset Printing Co., 163-167 Albany Street. New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 Please make checks payable to the Calvin Synod Herald Send all correspondence to the Editor. Manuscripts and photographs are not preserved or returned. House. But this was a fabrication again with the ignominious purpose of annihilating all Protestants in Hungary. The persecution was especially severe in the Northern part of the country. In the Central and Southern parts of Hungary, the Turks still bullied the population and did not let the pastors and teachers appear before the courts of Pozsony. Many Hungarian lords, especially in the border fortresses, simply tore the royal summons to pieces and thus protected the pastors serving there. As for the Eastern part of the country, Erdély (Transylvania) was an independent principality. But even so, the courts could bring action against more than two hundred fifty pastors. The mock trial did not last more than a few weeks. All were condemned to death. Those who converted to Catholicism received a pardon. Then “out of mercy” the death sentence was changed to exile or dismissal from office. Soon they were put in irons, thrown into prison, and forced to cruel, meaningless work: what they built one day had to be taken down the next day. All the torture served only one purpose: to make them relinquish their faith. Forty-two of them were sentenced to galley slavery. Only criminals were punished by such measure, and they were really treated as criminals. In the prisons they suffered unbelievable cruelties. The Rev. István Szilvasi was beaten by a spear with such vehemence that the wood of the spear broke into pieces. The Rev. András Szentkirályi was taken to the forest of Sárvár where his feet were put into wooden stocks, his hands into iron shackles, and an iron collar was fastened around his neck; he stayed in such conditions for thirteen months while his waist became literally rotten ... Those who were condemned to galleys finally started on their march. On foot they were compelled to march through Austria to Triest. Some of them marched even further down to Buccari. German soldiers belonging to the Spanish Royal Guard performed this ghastly task. The Rev. András Szentkirályi suffered a stroke on the road and as he dragged himself along the stony pathway, his blood marked every step for more than two miles; in great sufferings he died, never reaching the galleys. The Rev. István Fileki was trampled under the hoof of the soldier’s horse when he fell exhausted on the road. The Rev. Marton Szendrei was 75 years old when they started the march in chains; soon he became deadly tired and his martyr colleagues wanted to ask the commanding officer to take off the shackles from his feet, but he averted the intercession by saying, “These iron fetters are worth more than all the gold, because I obtained them for the name of Jesus Christ.. When the Rev. Mihály Miskolci was beaten in similar conditions, he said: “Why are you beating me when I can hardly walk on account of my shackles? I was imprisoned by the Turks, too, but they never treated me so!...” With four other martyrs, the Rev. Mihály Huszti died in Theate (the present Chieti in Italy) because they were forced to stay in a hut
