Calvin Synod Herald, 1996 (96. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)

1996-09-01 / 5. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

AMERIKAI MAGYAR REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA- 6

Report on the ///. World Convention

by Dr. Francis Vitéz, Bishop

Bishop László Tokes was elected President at the recent meeting of the III. Hungarian Reformed World Federation in Debrecen, Hungary. The choice of a Romanian leader underscored the international scope of the organization, whose delegates were representative of more than six million Hungarian Reformed members around the world. Then from overseas, the selection of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Francis Vitéz, Bishop of the Calvin Synod (United Church of Christ), promoted him to Vice President, along with Bishop Géza Erdélyi (Slovakia), Bishop Mihály Markus (Papa, Hungary) and Chief Elder Daniel Szabó (Miskolc, Hungary).

A weeklong celebration of their unity followed in Romania. The Hungarian Reformed churches there, since the beginnings of the Reformation itself, now serve over a half-million members in more than five hundred congregations. The bishops from the United States, Slovakia, Ukraine and Hungary, all four, joined host bishops Dr. László Tokes and Dr. Kalman Csiha for the ecumenical celebrations, with many other ministers from distant lands as Canada, Australia, Argentina, Holland and Sweden.

The festivities began with an outdoor Communion Service at a stadium at Nagyvarad (Orodea - Romanian name),

attended by more than 15,000. The sacrament was served by more than a hundred ministers, at twenty-five communion tables on their field, a magnificent sight to behold.

Among the significant events were the dedications of two new churches in Transylvania (over twenty new ones recently!), and the burying of a time capsule at the ground-breaking for a new church building in a suburb of Budapest. At Szatmarnemeti (Satu Mare) hundreds of Reformed members and friends stood in the rain for several hours for the service of consecration. Bishops Tokes, Lorant Hegedűs, and Francis Vitéz were speakers, along with the pastor and chorister of a Reformed church in Switzerland which had given significant financial assistance, and clergy of area Reformed, Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.

The highlight of the dedication at Sepsiszentgyorgy was the baptism of seven infants by Bishop Kalman Csiha, a glorious start for the new venture and a sign of resurgence among young people in Reformed churches. The happy day was also made possible by the generous gifts of a Reformed church in Holland, whose pastor addressed their Romanian kindred. A procession of over fifty ministers, scouts and others preceded the service, and hundreds took turns coming in and leaving so

all could attend a part of the lengthy service. Both Bishop Csiha and Bishop Hegedűs delivered pro-life addresses, urging the end of abortion and emphasizing the need to bring children to Christ's churches instead.

Throughout the week, in ecumenical services filling the sports arena at Temesvár, and huge cathedral-like churches at Marosvasarhely and Kolozsvár, the bishops emphasized the necessary union of church and school. Many churches and schools of all grade levels were confiscated by the Communists, and the present governments in the satellite nations were being negative or very slow about their just return to their owners.

Despite the Federation's declarations emphasizing its spiritual character, the Romanian and other governments with sizable Hungarian-speaking citizens, objected to the gatherings in their lands, even prohibiting events or persons from attending. At Nagyvarad, up to the last mooments, the Romanians had refused to allow use of the stadium, and when it was held, soldiers with a water cannon were present, as well as at the hotel for interational visitors. The Slovakia and Ukraine authorities were similarly obstinate. Although their ancestors were in the land for 1100 years, the use of the Hungarian language, faith expressions and traditions are being pinched off, amounting to ethnic cleansing and genocide.

BISHOP

ANDREW HARSANYI

1914-1996

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Andrew Harsanyi died on October 3, 1996 in Dover. He was 82.

He was born in Budapest, Hungary, and immigrated to the United States in 1950. He recently retired as pastor of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Carteret and moved to Hopatcong.

He was leader of Hungarian congregations in the United States and was an early proponent of the ecumenical movement. He had been a participant in Protestant-Roman Catholic dialogues for two decades. He lectured widely and published many scholarly articles and books.

Bishop Harsanyi was educated at the Debrecen Theological Seminary and the University of Budapest. He completed postdoctoral studies at King's

College in Aberdeen, Scotland. He fled his native country after World War II and for the next five years coordinated pastoral services to thousands of refugees in Austria and Switzerland. He served in Presbyterian congregations from 1950 to 1957, when he became pastor of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Carteret. He was elected bishop for the Hungarian Reformed Church in America in 1986.

He was a long-time knight of the Order of St. John, a philanthropic order dating from the Middle Ages, and became commander in 1986.

Surviving are his wife, Margaret of Hopatcong; a daughter, Fruzsina of Washington; three sons, Zsolt of McLean, VA., László of Rockville, MD., and Andrew of Bridgewater, and six grandchildren.

Services were held at the Hungarian Reformed Church on October 7th in Carteret, N.J. The Rt. Rev. Francis Vitéz, bishop of the Calvin Synod, offered the funeral prayer at the service and forwarded the deepest sympathy of our Synod at the great loss of the sister church-body.

Even in retirement, he continued to support a variety of religious and ethnic programs, corresponding with colleagues around the world. He loved the life of the mind and displayed an intellectual curiosity that engaged anyone who came in contact with him. He was as comfortable with a play on words in Latin or Greek, as he was writing a simple Christmas story for his grandchildren. He was a peacemaker; he loved his friends and forgave his adversaries.

He was about to undertake a major writing project and was looking forward to a trip to Hungary to set up a foundation in his father's name, Zsolt Harsanyi, the famous Hungarian novelist, to benefit young writers. His wife and children celebrate his life.

OQQ