Magyar Egyház, 1991 (70. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1991-11-01 / 6. szám
10. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ A CALVINIST CHURCH IN LEÁNYFALU Leányfalu is a small village on the right bank of the Danube. Its Calvinist congregation was formed in 1958, in one of the very hard periods of the country. The little community has never had a church of its own, in a country, like Hungary in those years, occupied by the Soviets and ruled by the communists, there was no way to build one. The first place of their services was the bar-room of a former public house. In a frosty Christmas Eve when the pastor of the village was kept back by the floating ice of the river, in that bar-room celebrated László Ravasz, the great Hungerian bishop, who was removed by the communist government and banished to Leányfalu, his last open service. But later on even that place was taken away by the servile leadership of the fully state controlled Hungarian Calvinist Church. The congregation of the village has got only one hour on each Sunday and on the holidays to celebrate services in the vestibule of the local reformed home for the aged. The possibilities of the services depend on the good-will of the home administration for more than twentyfive years. But the years of 1989-1990 have brought a fundamental change in the history of Eastern Europe and especially in that of Hungary. Last autumn, also in Leányfalu to make the best of their first opportunity the presbyterate decided to build a real church. The new church should serve not only as a congregational building but it will have to give home for religious youth meetings and summer campings. However, the country and its people emerging from a long period of foreign rule is not yet strong enough to start such enterprises alone even if their necessity is evident, since the long lasting years of the communism have weakened it not only economically but in a moral sense, too. Therefore, the Calvinist community of Leányfalu relys on all those who are ready to lend them a helping hand to start the rebuilding of safe foundations of the future Hungary. EDITOR’S NOTE: Leányfalu was the place of retirement for the former bishop László Ravasz, who was removed from office by the then Communist regime. Bishop Ravasz spent his exile in this small community.----------------^ m*--------------------EUROPEAN PROTESTANT CONGRESS TO BE HELD IN BUDAPEST IN 1992 Church leaders from 15 European countries meeting in Basel, Switzerland (August 23-27) agreed to convene a European Protestant congress in Budapest, Hungary in 1992. The meeting will seek to develop common perspectives following recent changes in Eastern Europe. Representatives of minority Protestant churches in Eastern Europe said during the Basel meeting that such a congress is urgent in view of constitutional changes in their countries and the status of minorities there. A declaration from the Basel meeting suggested that the Protestant voice in Europe is barely heard and that, especially in Eastern Europe, the Roman Catholic Church gives the impression of speaking for all Christians. (EPS) AMERICAN CHURCHES SPEAK OUT ON HUMAN SEXUALITY Magyar Egyház reported in the July-August issue on the June General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) which overwhelmingly rejected the report of a Special Task Force on Human Sexuality calling for openness toward sexual relationship outside of marriage. The General Assembly reaffirmed the sanctity of the marital covenant between one man and one woman to be a God-given relationship to be lived in Christian fidelity. It also restated its official opposition to the ordination of homosexuals. The Rev. Louis Illés, our ecumenical secretary participated at the General Assembly as an invited ecumenical delegate. His report was printed in both the Hungarian and the English section of Magyar Egyház. The July General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Phoenix, Arizona which Bishop Andrew Harsányi of our Church attended at the invitation of Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning of the Episcopal Church as an ecumenical visitor, widely discussed the ordination of practicing homosexuals and blessings of same-sex unions. It still did not reach a definite solution of the problem. They stated that the official position was that sexual relaions should be reserved for heterosexual marriage yet it was acknowledged that there was a gap between this official tradition and the lifestyles of some members which culminated e.g. in Bishop John Spong’s ordination of a practicing homosexual. It was agreed that Episcopalians should deepen their understanding of these ethical issues in dialogue. In a final resolution the General Convention reiterated the words of the Book of Common Prayer that physical sexual expression is appropriate only within the lifelong, monogamous “union of husband and wife in the heart, body and mind intended by God . ..” To the 18th General Synod of the United Church of Christ the Calvin Synod of that denomination which comprises a significant number of Hungarian Reformed congregations as one of the UCC conferences, presented an overture against the ordination of homosexuals. In the course of a hearing the Calvin Synod was called ‘backward, living in the dark, trying to put God in a box, and blasphemous.’ Delegates of this General Synod of the United Church of Christ (June 27-July 2, Norfolk) accepted a resolution to “affirm, celebrate and embrace ‘lesbian, gay and bisexual” gifts for ministry.”--------------» »»------------------FROM THE BISHOP'S NOTEBOOK Today there are two kinds of people: one who think of the future and another who can only think of the past. * West Germany’s president Friedrich von Weizsäcker: “There is no reconciliation without remembrance.” Nathan Söderblom, Swedish archbishop (Lutheran): “Words are cheap. We must give ourselves. The waste of life consists in the love not given.”
