Hungarian Church Press, 1950 (2. évfolyam, 4-13. szám)
1950-07-15 / 12-13. szám
Yet the dnnggr of which we have been warning Hungarian Christendom for years and v.bich wo have boon tiying to fight with all cur might in the Reformed Church, is net yot averted, Thu men of the church are still lured by the temptation to oppose the now world cf scclalism and - it comes to the same thing whether we want it or not - to lament and to hanker after the. past which was weighed and found wanting try God. True repentance always means that one does not tiy tc continue'where he left efi, but one is willing to start it anew, in a new fashion. The churches have already had five years in which to loam that God's sentences are ju3t and the obediently accepted judgment is turned, at once»into new and blessed opportunities. These five years have given a most precious opportunity tc us to serve. Not only to our church, but to all churches in Hungary. To recognize, in an entirely new situation, the radically new tasks and to assume these willingly and with a serious mind: this has been and this will be the narrow path of the church. On the ether hand, it has been a continuous temptation for the church to identify herself - out of blindness* unbelief, disobedience, the longing after a false popularity - "with the class rile that is new past and to see an enemy in the new state system... If the church will be overcome by this temptation, she will have to assume the fatal role cf becoming an illegal political party. Then she would rally the dissatisfied and oppositionist;elements, and it would be no logger faith, but a political decision that would constitute the test cf loyalty to her" /i quote this from the last Bishop's Report by 1. Ravasz/. Our church has taken this temptation seriously and has turned, in all her decisions, resolutely against it, xxx Wliat n°kos me say all. these now? I ha.Vo to repeat all these now in vie\; cf that "church" struggle which has been carried on in the last five years, openly or secretly, against the powerful current ef a great'revolutionary transformation. This "church" struggle has not left our church unaffected. We can. assort with good conscience that the agreement cf cur church with the st^te and the subsequent attitude of our church - though there have been, in sene places, acts of disobedience and separate actions by some of our church people - has secured the freedom cf church work for not merely our own church but also for the other churches* But, alas, we must also toll, that the bad consequences of an ether church's attitude, which opposes the work of reconstruction, Socialism and tlic peace movement, have affected us too. Thus Hungarian Protestantism has been placed in the painful situation of having to apeak its warning and condemning word against the oppositionist rnd rebellious attitude of the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. What would have happened if not only wo, Protestants, who are re all-y in the position cf a minority - though not insignificant minority - but all churches had concluded peaceful agreements with the state,in the manner cf the Polish bishops! No one can blme us for nixing in other's business if wa have opposed and /will' epp- sa this "catastrophy politics" cf the Roman Catholic leaders. No such opposition can be easily isolated. I an confident that the responsible leaders of the Hungarian st.°te will' dc all within their “4~ Hungarian Church Press
