Hungarian Church Press, 1950 (2. évfolyam, 4-13. szám)
1950-03-15 / 5. szám
-3-"As a writerI as an advocate of the people's cause, I have never forgotten these lessons. I feel that, in order to be loyal to the traditions of protestantism and to the spiritual legacy of Tessedik, Kossuth and Petőfi, X must always be the 'defender of the oppressed people and a fighter for the cause of progress". "Yet it would be a lack of sincerity to tell only this about my relation to my church. There was a time, especially ill the last dacedes, when I, with many Lutherans, must have realized that Lungarian Protestantism, the official Protestantism- including our church - had turned away from its former progressive ideals. T^e original protestant attitude was summed up this way by a preacher poet of the Reformation ages "The greater the persecution, the louder our protest". The protest of the Protestant churches was united with the protest of the oppressed peasants, as people and church were one at that time. 0ur church was a people's church. Was the oppression less severe in the last decades, especially in the years of the Horthy reaction? No; it became more severe. Aiid yet the protesting voice of the church became fainter. Prom a people's church into a ruling church, - that was the main endeavour. The church chose the path of opportunism, instead of protesting; that of compromise with the ruling system, and even more; the support of that oppressive and pernicious system..." "Has Hungarian Protestantism and our Lutheran Church got away from this aberration? There are many signs indicating that she has left behind these bad ways, and, after confessing past sins, the times of inner renewal are to como. There is a growing conviction in m .ny hearts and minds that God ha3 given us a great opportunity .0 renew our church in the spirit of the true Protestant traditions and to become again a people's church. This is an opportunity which we should not miss". "These critical words were not inspired by the intention to hurt ourselves, but to realize our responsibility,- of which I am very conscious - and to find the way of renewal. I want to serve this cause with my future work, according to my ability. I am certain that my church, by calling me to thi3 service, did not fellow the line of that deplorable tradition of the recent past which made one's calling to the lay services in our church dependent on one's worldly eminence in public offices. I am sure that, by calling me, my church expects me and others and all of ua, to work modestly and industriously for the renewal of our church, according to the will of God. I ask you not to see in me the Minister, the highly placed public servant, but the son cf the common people who realizes that his high position and better lookout places him under greater obligations and obliges him to devoted service!" "What do I regard as the decisive aspect of my future work?" "In the first place, to serve, with all my abilities, the cause of good relations between the Hungarian People’s Republic and the Lutheran Church. I know that there is very much to do in this respect. The relation of our church to the state Bungarian Church Press
