Hungarian Church Press, 1950 (2. évfolyam, 4-13. szám)

1950-03-15 / 5. szám

has now two strong pillars: the Constitution of the Hungarian People's republic, which guarantees the freedom of conscience and the free exercise of religion for every citizen, and the Agreement between our church and the state uhich, among others, provides for a considerable financial support of our church.

The decisive test of this relation between church and state is, of course, whether the church is permitted to pursue her specific vocation, whether she is free to fulfil her God-given mission. Is this freedom well established? Yes, it is. In the first place, it is guaranteed in the Constitution. But the past five years of the Hungarian People !s Democracy have als*, demonstrated that there is a complete freedom of religion in this country and the churches have felt, during this period, the helping hand of the state. Ho words could give a stronger refutation of those hostile calumnies from abroad than the fact that hundreds and thousands of churches have been rebuilt, after the Fascist devastation, and hundreds of million florins have been given by the state in order to support the churches'1.

"It was with the assurance that the free pursuance of the church's missionary vocation is well established in the state of the Hungarian people that our church, along with the other Protestant churches recognized the republic and the reforms of the people's democracy, made an agreement with the state, and all her functionaries swore loyalty to the Constitution of the Hungarian People's Republic".

"Yet with telling this, we must also recognize that there were forces, in our church algp, which refused to follow this path and would have preferred to bind our church to the reactionary grievance-politics of Cardinal Mindszenty. They appealed to the Scripture, tc the confessions and interests of our church, yet these words were used as a camouflage in defending the old order of society. I think there is no need now of explaining the real meaning of the Hindszenty-politics. a reaction of the darkest dye and the cruel cynicism of an oppressive class rule that hid behind its facade have been fully disclosed. Yet we cannot regard Hindszentysm as a finished affair. The $4iodszenty politics has many aspects, and we can testify that tne words I. Ravasz, formerly 3ishop in our sister church, are still valid as a timely warning: "It is a temptation of the church to identify herself with the liquidated class rule and tc see an enemy in the new state system...If the church succumbed to this temptation, she would have to play the fatal role of changing into an illegal political party. Then she would gather into a camp the disaffected and rebellious elements, and a political decision, rather than that of faith would constitute the test of membership". Honourable .assembly, let us ask quite sincerely: is it not 'cnis fate that would have awaited our church had she succumbed to the temptation of UiAdszentysm?

And what would happen if Iliudszentysm, in some new shape,would gain the upper hand in the leadership of our church? It is therefore our high duty and responsibility to repel , defending the true interests of our church, the recurrence of this temptation in the life of our church!"

Hungarian Church Press