Verhovayak Lapja, 1941. január-június (24. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)

1941-03-27 / 13. szám

tage 4

Verhovayalt Lapja

HUNGARIAN PERSONAGES

by Joseph Szentkirályi

PETER PÁZMÁNY -1 570 - 1637

Peter Pázmány, founder of the largest Hungarian university, and which still bears his name, was the greatest champion of the Hungarian Catholic renaissance in the 17th century. His father was a member of the lesser nobility and his mother was of Italian origin, both of them Protestants. After his mother died, Pázmány turned to Catholicism, under the influence of his stepmother and that of Stephen Szántó, the first Hungarian Jesuit. At the age of 17 he entered the Jesuit Order, subsequently studied in Cracow, Vienna and Rome, and received the degree of Doctor of Theology at the age of 27 and was ordained. Pázmány taught for a while in the University of Graz, Austria. In 1601 his superiors sent Pázmány back to his native country to join the forces of the Hungarian Counter-Reformation. His work was so successful that more than thirty families of the Hungarian high aristocracy turned back to the Catholic faith. ' That of course meant not only the immediate-family of thirty noblemen but all their servants, serfs and everybody in

the sphere of interest of those families. His books, written in the Hungarian language, the first ever written in that language by a Hungarian Jesuit, created quite a sensation in clerical and lay circles. Most successful were those which attacked certain Hungarian Protestant priests, like Stephen Magyari, Miklós Gyarmatin and Peter Alvinczi. His most important work was the one bearing the title: Guide, Leading to the Truth of God, which was and still is a work of primary importance in Hungarian theological literature. After the death of Cardinal Forgách, with the special permission of Pope Paul V, King Matthias II appointed Pázmány archbishop of Hungary, in 1616. For 21 years until his death, Pázmány se ved his Church and country in that post through very difficult times. After hi- appointment, he continued his missionary and literary activites and took out time for many important works. He established a great number of seminaries, one bearing his name in Vienna, in 1622. Thirteen years later Pázmány founded a university at Nagyszombat, in the very year when the French Academy was established. (This was one year e* rlier than Harvard University was founded.) This university, now bearing his name, still exists and is situated in Budapest, capital of Hungary. In 1935 when the Peter Pázmány University of Budapest celebrated its 300th anniversary, the

PAST

The Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association looks back upon more than a HALF OF A CENTURY of substantial well-rounded progress. “QUALITY, SERVICE AND SAFETY, FIRST” has characterized its growth.

PRESENT

With over $25,000,000.00 of insurance in force, Verhovay is the largest legal reserve society of Hungarian origin since 1886. The society enjoys a high place among the finest quality societies of the nation.

F U TU R E

With a splendid past, a strong present position, complete life insurance service including sales plans, helpful home office cooperation, policies for all ages including children from birth and adults to age 60 the future for the society and the men who represent it is most promising.

Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association

346 FOURTH AVENUE PITTSBURGH, PA.

whole civilized world took notice of the important event. A great number of foreign scholars took part in the celebration. The United States was represented by Hugh Bihler, S. J., of Georgetown University, Washington, D. C.; Herbert W. Schneider, of Columbia University, New York City;

C. N. Ariens, of Yale University; Peter Martinovich, of the University of Syracuse; Marshall Brown, of New York University; Joseph Welton Crook, of Leland-Stanford; Sigismund Diettrich, of Clark Universty; Cooper Harold Langford, of the University of Michigan; Rudolph Shewill, of the University of California; and the official repres ntative of the United States, Dr. Willard C. Olson, of the University of Michigan. Edwin Borchard of Yale and Manley Hudson of Harvard were made honorary doctors of the university together with a select group of eminent foreign scholars.

In the year 1629 Pázmány was made a cardinal by the Pope. Eight more years he spent in continuous work until he died on March 19, 1637.

The importance of Peter Pázmány, the statesman, is in the fact that he alone realized in his time that Hungary must pursue a policy balanced between the powers of the West and the East. He knew perfectly well that Hungary could not be saved without the aid of the Austrian and German emperors, but he also knew that the independence of Transylvania was essential for the mother country, and this required a friendly attitude toward the Turks.

Pázmány was master of the Magyar language, but the long years of study abroad did not leave their mark in his literary works. He wrote in the simple, expressive and forceful language of the average Hungarian of his day, and that was an important and decisive factor in the success of his books. He also wrote in Latin. But for us his Hungarian works are much more important, being the early examples of the Magyar prose literature.

The fight on dogmas and theological principles between Hungarian Protestants and Catholics is of the past today, and all Hungarians without religious difference regard with sincere respect the educational and cultural work of the great Caidinal.------------------O-----------------Brass rods can be inserted in the legs of a new coffee table to raise it to dining table height.

ATTENTION!

Contestants!

To those who are taking part in the 1941 Four Regional Membership Contests of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association:

1. The Contest closes on November 30, 1941.

2. A contestant may secure point credits either for insurance written by himself or transferred to him by others, but only if contest slip for every new member is sent to Home Office with the signature of the one who signed up new member, as shown on the application blank.

3. Contest slips are made out at Home Office and are sent out with policies to respective secretaries. (For new«members taken up in the month of January, contest slips will be mailed out soon; for new members taken up in February and thereafter, contest slips will be mailed out together with policies.)

4. Contest slips are to be signed immediately and then sent to Home Office. For members taken up to the close of September, 1941, all contest slips must be returned to Home Office by the close of September, 1941. In October and November, 1941, only contest slips for members taken up in those months are acceptable.

5. Since the Contest is conducted in four districts or regions, contestants must participate only in the district to which they belong, and, naturally, are entitled to points only after members taken up in their own districts.

6. Rules of the Contest are, with the exception of the above rules, different in each district. It is therefore advisable for every contestant to get thoroughly acquainted with the particular rules of his district.

. < March 27, 1941

1941

Commemorating the

55,b JUBILEE

of thex

Insurance Association

with

Four Regional Membership Contests

Chicago * Cleveland * Detroit ♦ New York

1. Contest is open ^to Verhovay members.

2. Contesf closes November 30, 1941.

3. The results of the Contest shall be determined by points submitted on Contest slips.

4. Contest slips shall be issued by the Home Office

for each new member, which' slips should be returned immediately after being properly assigned by the recommender. All slips dated prior to September 30, 1941 must be in Home Office by September 30, 1941. Contest slips dated after September 30, 1941 must be submitted immediately.

5. Contest points are transferable but can not be recalled after transfer.