Magyar Egyház, 1959 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1959-06-01 / 6-7. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 13 CHURCHMAGYAR URGENT: A NEW DEAL FOR REFUGEES To bring the plight of the world’s 45 million refugees to the attention of the world community, the World Refugee Year, sponsored by the United Nations, has begun officially on July 1. Fifty nations, including the United States, are participating in it. Cooperation of the Protestant and Orthodox churches in this country will be through the National Council’s relief and rehabilitation agency, Church World Service, and denominational overseas relief and world service boards and commissions. The Presidents of the World Council of Churches have sent a special message to the Council’s 173 member churches of the Protestant and Orthodox traditions in 52 countries in connection with the launching of the World Refugee Year. Here are excerpts from this message: “We are convinced that in our day and generation our greatest human tragedy is that of the refugee — homeless people all around the world. The refugee and his family have, for more than a decade, been a challenge to our confession and compassion and must be a first call on the ministry of those whose Lord “had nowhere to lay his head.” We believe that, within the limits of our resources, the World Council of Churches has answered this call unremittingly and consistently, and we express our gratitude to our member churches who have made this possible. Our ministry has not been motivated because all the refugees belong to our member churches — indeed most of them do not. We do it because Christ compels us. We have not, however, always been satisfied that the governments of the free world have been as constant in their concern for a problem which is not only one of human tragedy but, unremedied, is a continuing threat to peace and security. For this very reason we welcome with cordiality and renewed hope the decision of the United Nations to proclaim World Refugee Year.” The World Council of Churches “emphasizes to governments and all concerned that there are so many refugees, and such difficult situations, that their problems simply cannot be solved in one year, yet earnestly hopes that the problems of many more may be solved in this year than in any pervious year, and that the World Refugee Year may result in far greater attention to their needs in the years to follow.” “The time has now come for our churches to act in this new initiative and we therefore call anew for your prayers, your intensified action and your continuing charity.” GENEVA CELEBRATES CALVIN JUBILEE (Geneva) — More than five thousand Geneva citizens gathered in late spring rain under the imposing statues of Calvin, Farel, Beza and Knox at the Reformation Monument on the morning of Sunday, May 31. They were joined by Reformed representatives from twenty countries to celebrate the fourth centennary of John Calvin’s educational and theological work. A half hour service of worship marked the opening of three days of celebrations coinciding with the 450th anniversary of the birth of the great Reformer, who lived and worked in Geneva for more than 25 years. After the service, led by Pastor A. Werner, moderator of Geneva’s “Pastors’ Company,” and addressed by representatives of the city of Geneva and the French Reformed Church, the worshippers marched in procession to the city’s exhibition building, decorated for the occasion with brilliant red and gold banners bearing the arms of the Canton of Geneva. The protestants of the city joined in a picnic lunch and during the afternoon were able to watch the first public Swiss showings of “Soli Deo Gloria,” a film on the Geneva Reformation and its world outreach, made by well-known French director Roger Leenhardt. In the evening another great crowd assembled at the Reformation Monument for the inaugural performance of the first Festival of Sound and Light ever to be held in Switzerland. The spectacle, which is scheduled to be repeated every fine night during the summer, casts the immense figures of the reformers into relief by a varied play of lights, accompanied by recorded voices and music telling the story of the Reformation. The text by Henri Laudenbach is accompanied by original music of the Geneva composer Roger Vuataz. French film star Pierre Fresnay speaks the part of Calvin. The Gothic Calvin auditorium, where the reformer preached and taught, was re-dedicated by the World Presbyterian Alliance on the morning of June 1. The building, next to the Cathedral of St. Pierre, has been restored as the result of the world-wide appeal for $160,000. Other events in Geneva included a visit of church representatives to the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches at Bossey, near Geneva. Dr. W. A. Visser’t Hooft, WCC general secretary, welcoming the delegates at Bossey, reminded them that “the Reformed churches have a tremendous ecumenical responsibility because of their great heritage.” He said he “could only wish at this moment that the Reformed churches were absolutely ready to follow Calvin and open themselves to discussions with other churches — always holding to '•heir centre, which is Christ.”
