William Penn Life, 2017 (52. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2017-10-01 / 10. szám

Secondly, the country was divided into three parts: the northwest was controlled by the Habsburgs; the central portion was ruled by the Turks; and Transylvania to the east paid tribute to the Turks to remain semi-independent. Thirdly, unlike the Catholic Habsburgs, the Turks did not force anyone to adopt their Muslim religion.

Although a synod at Erdőd accepted the Lutheran Augsburg Confession in 1545, a later synod in Debrecen in 1567 embraced the Reformed Heidelberg Catechism along with the Second Helvetic Confession, which more closely followed the teachings of John Calvin as opposed to Martin Luther. The dominant Protestant Church in Hungary and Transylvania became the Calvinist "Reformed Church." The early leaders of this movement were Sztárai Mihály, Szegedi Kis István, Dévai Bíró Mátyás and the bishop of Debrecen, Méliusz Juhász Péter in Hungary, and Apáczai Csere János and Dávid Ferenc in Transylvania.

Unlike the others who were Calvinists, Dávid Ferenc was Unitarian and founder of the Transylvanian Unitarian Church. Contrary to the Catholic Church and the two major Protestant denominations of the time, the Unitarians did not believe in the Holy Trinity because they considered it anti-biblical. The major figure who was converted by Dávid Ferenc was the Prince of Transylvania, Szapolyai János Zsigmond (he was also the infant King of Hungary at the time of the first Siege of Buda in 1541). Their collaboration resulted in the first proclamation of religious freedom in Europe, the Edict of Torda in 1568. This basically gave freedom to the Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed and Unitarian religions to practice their beliefs as they wished, but tolerated others as well.

Although there were many problems in the Catholic Church at the time, which made it possible for the Protestant Reformation to take hold and become popular among many people in Europe, there were many battles within the ranks of the Protestants as well.

For example, one of the founders of the Unitarian Church, Michael Servetus (a theologian, physician, cartographer and mathematician among other things; born in Spain as Miguel Serveto), was burned at the stake atop a mound of his own books near the city of Geneva. Both Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon denounced his teachings. And one of the main persons who submitted evidence against him at his trial, although not in person due to health reasons, was John Calvin, who asked that he be beheaded instead of burned at the stake. So, even those who were against the harsh authority of the Catholic Church did not always behave much like Christians them-Continued on Page 30

Orbán Viktor miniszterelnök köszöntő levele a William Penn Life magazin olvasóinak a reformáció 500. évfordulója alkalmából

„A reformáció ötszázadik évfordulóját ünnepelve nekünk, magyaroknak ma gyakran juthatnak eszünkbe Illyés Gyula sorai: ’Hiszed, hogy volna olyan-amilyen magyarság, ha nincs - Kálvin? Nem hiszem.’ Wittenberg és Genf szellemisége a mi számunkra öt évszázada jelenti a megmaradás ösvényét, ahogy ott van velünk most is minden egyes templomban, bárhol is legyen a világon, ahol a Szentírást magyarul olvassák, és Istent magyarul dicsérik. Éppen ezért meggyőződésem, hogy a reformátorok és a protestáns prédikátorok öröksége ma is megtartó erőt jelent a világ református magyarságának. Annak a hitnek, elszántságnak és tenni akarásnak a hamisítatlan mását, amely öt évszázaddal ezelőtt egyszerre építette fel az Újvilágot és elevenítette meg a régit, s amely most is kész arra, hogy a semper reformanda jegyében új lélekkel töltse meg korunkat. Mindezek fényében, kérem, engedjék meg, hogy e jeles évfordulón áldott és szép ünneplést kívánjak minden magyar református testvéremnek! Soli Deo gloria!” - Orbán Viktor

Letter of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to the readers of William Penn Life on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation

(Non-official, courtesy translation)

“For Hungarians celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the words of Gyula Illyés often come to mind: ‘Do you believe that Hungarians would exist as such if not for - Calvin? I don’t think so.’ The spirit of Wittenberg and Geneva has meant the path to survival for us for five centuries, just as it remains with us in every single church around the world, where scripture is read in Hungarian and God is praised in Hungarian. That is why I am convinced that the legacy of the reformers and Protestant preachers still represents a source of strength for Reformed Hungarians around the world. It represents an unmistakable version of that faith, that determination and that willpower, which simultaneously built the New World and revitalized the old one five centuries ago, and which is still ready to breathe new spirit into our age in the spirit of semper reformanda. In light of all this, please allow me to wish all of my Reformed Hungarian brethren a blessed and beautiful celebration on this important anniversary! Soli Deo gloria!” - Viktor Orbán

WILLIAM PENN LIFE 0 October 2017 0 13