The
History of the Hungarian Unitarian Church
Transylvania was part of Hungary up until 1920, the Treaty of Trianon. So
unitarians in Hungary consider as part of the same Unitarian Church, with the
difference that today unitarians live two countries: in Romania (Transyvania)
and in Hungary. But our roots goes back to the time of the reformation.
In 1579. November. Karádi Pál, Unitarian minister from Temesvár wrote a
letter to the ministers of Kolozsvár about his commitment to Dávid Ferenc's
teachings. He also marked Blandrata György, Hunyadi Demeter and his party who
promoted Dávid Ferenc's condemnation as traitors. He separated from the
Transylvanian Church, along with the lowland and Banat congregations. The
bishop of the detached congregations became Karádi Pál. This teritory was the
east part of Hungary.
The church in Pécs will become the center of unitarianism.
Here is the only standing church where unitarians kept the Sunday services
between 1570-1691. Here did functioned the only seminary where unitarian
ministers were educated. Highschools did work in Nagyharsány and Nagymaros. In Pécs
was kept the famous „Dispute of Pécsi”
/1588/, where beside unitarian ministers also the lay members attended the
dispute, which was recorded by Válaszúti György, a literature minded minister, who had a good observing ability and was an
excellent character illustrator.
Another famous dispute happened in Nagyharsány / 1574/, where the reform
representants declared themselves vinners and sent to death the unitarian
minister béggel Alvinczi György, who was hanged on hillside called: Kopár.
After the death of King John Sigismund in 1571 the opression of the
unitarians was so strong that the unitarian congregations could not survive in
such a circumstances. Did not have yet a stong organization and under the
counter reformation did lost many members. But even so they survived.
In the XVII. century
we know of two unitarian: Szabó Saltorius János, who was born in Pécs, who
spoke latin, greece and hebrew. He copied the text of the Dispute of Pécs. And
we know about Mohácsi Mihály from Baranya,
who served from 1632 as district dean and minister.
In the XVIII. Century
is well know the unitarian minister: Járdánházi Sámuel (1725-1790). He studied
in Hódmezővásárhely, unitarian minister
from 1754 in Harkány, from l758 in
Pisko, between l76l-1768 again in Harkány. He spent 6 year in gail because of
his antitrinitarian believes. He is the last Transdanubian minister, representing the unitarians.
The recovery it came after 1867, when our religion was recognized by the
austro-hungarian empire. After the Revolution in 1848-49 many unitarians from
Transylvania settled down in Hungary, specially in Budapest.
In 1869, Joseph Ferenc, a unitarian minister from Kolozsvar (Cluj) kept the
first unitarian service in the reformed church in Budapest. In 1876 it was working
a small congregation in Budapest, which in 14th august 1881 became an
independent congregation. In the following years all over Hungary were
organized unitarian congregations, many of them built properties and kept a
ministers.
In 1882 the Budapest Church got a property from the city where they built
the actual church and parsonage, and apartments in which now is working beside
the Budapest Unitarian Church, the Hungarian Unitarian Headquarter, the
Bishops's Office. (Nagy Ignac street nr.2-4.) .
In 1879 was established the Unitarian
Church in Hodmezövásárhely, and in the following year, in 17th May 1880 was
held the first unitarian service by Lajos Nagy district dean of Kolozsvar. In
1884 the congregation build a prayer house. The actual gothic-stile church was
built in 1910.
In 1886 was established a congregation East of the Danube, with its center
in Polgardi. There were help sunday services in Szekszard and Pecs.
In 1901 was established the Francis David Association, a cultural, religious
association which goal was to spread the unitarian and free christian ideas, to
promote religious and patriotic feelings, to discuss scientifical, cultural and
sociological issues, and to polish music and poetry.
In 1902 was established a new congregation, from those unitarians who live
in the teritory of Hungary between the Danube and Tisza rivers.
In 1902 was established an other chruch in Füzesgyarmat. In 1903 the
congregation did build their own church building, and added to it in 1911 a
belltower.
1918. I.W.W. ends.
After the Trianon agreament, when Hungary was divided and a major part was
added to Romania, the unitarian majority remained in Romania. In Hungary
remained 6 ministers and 2 teachers. The statistics between 1921 and 1927 it
show that there were unitarians between 10.600 and 11.200 members.
In 1922 was established the Women Associoation and the Youth Association. In
15th June appears the "Unitárius Értesitö" (Unitarian Announcer)
Magazine.
In 1923, with the help of the British and American unitarians a big building
was bought in Budapest in Rakos street, today is the Hogyes Endre street under
nr.3. In this building was the minister office, a parsonage, dormitories for
unitarian students and emigrants from Transylvania. Ministers of this building
served as missionaries in Budapest and Hungary. This building was called the
Mission House and it was Unitarian property until the communists took over. In
this building today is the "Bela Bartok" Unitarian Church of
Budapest, which became an independent congregation in 2001.
In 1923 was established in Budapest the „Church Executive
Council” in accordance with the Kolozsvár Main Church Council, which had the
right to elaborate the church canons in Hungary. The role of this Church Executive Council was
the leadership in Hungary over the unitarian churches. Its coming into
existence was a historical compulsion. Its coming into live was not to ment to
tear away from Kolozsvár but to unite in one organization the unitarians
remained in Hungary.
In 1928 the general Asembly was held in Debrecen, where was
dedicated the unitarian church building.
In 1932 under the Mission House was established a Ring-ministry for
taking care of the diaspora between the Danube and Tisza rivers and over the
Danube teritories.
In 1934 is ready the proposal for the New Church
Constitutional Canon, and talk about to publish a Unitarian Encyclopedia. The central missionary minister is Ferencz
József.
In 1936 is presented the New Church Canon on an
extraordinary assembly. In the same year held the dedication of the unitarian
church in Pestszentlőrinc.
In 1938 was established the Unitarian Church in Kocsord, and
in the same year the members build the church, found a bell and hired a
unitarian minister.
1940 II.W.W. when North-Transylvania is reattached to
Hungary.
But in 1944, after the II.W.W., when Hungary lost Transylvania, many
unitarians moved to Hungary. It was necessary
to establish and live an independent church life here.
In october 1944 the refugee members of the Church
Representative Council of Transylvania formes the Temporary Representative
Council in Budapest. This had the first function to ennumerate the refugee
church emloyees (about 60 person), to give suport and assure their salary.
In 1945 was establishes in Hungary the Church Administrative Commitee, which –
ad interim – undertake the church government.
In 1947 the Main Church Council of Kolozsvár sanctify the Constitution of the
Hungarian Unitarian District. The former
district gets totaly authonomy. The Sinod in Kolozsvár had authority only in
metters of faith, ministers education and disciplinary arbitration.
In 1947 march 15th appears first the Unitárius Élet – Unitarian Life magazin.
In 1950 the church held its Sinod, where were sent out as
new ministers: Bencze Márton minister in Duna-Tiszaköz, Bajor János in Füzesgyarmat, Szász János in Polgárdi, Huszti János in Duna-Tiszaköz and
dr. Jakab Jenő in Kocsord.
In 1951 the Ring-Board has been found that in the Mission
House there is not going on any missionary work, so its missionary quality was
overruled. The church in Hőgyes Endre
street becomes part of the Budapest Church with all its property (church,
office, meeting room, two parsonages).
In 1952 there are in Hungary the following churches:
Budapest, Debrecen, Füzesgyarmat, Hódmezővásárhely, Kocsord and Pestlőrinc, fellowships:
Duna-Tisza area and Transanubian
fellowships. Other diaspora churches are
in Szeged, Orosháza, Miskolc and Pécs. Partner-churches are in Dévaványa and Dunapataj.
Diaspora is in Eger.
In 1953 it happens the nationalization of the church
situated in Hőgyes Endre street. The church can use 25 % of the property for
church purpouse.
In 1955 was realized that without the state grant the church does not have any
income.
1956 – Hungarian
Revolution.
In 1956 regarding to the political situation in Hungary it was established the
Presidential Council with its members: Csíki Gábor, Ferencz József, Pethö
István, R.Filep Imre, dr. Kozma Jenő and dr. Nyiredy Géza. This Council ennumerates
the losts of the church.
In 1966 a new leadership is elected. This new church leadership tries the best to
maintain the good relationship with the Hungarian State, to upgrade the church
Canons and to heighten the relationship with forein unitarians.
In 1971 could ellect for the first time the Hungarian Unitarian Church
its own bishop in the person of Joseph Ferenc, and the lay president was
Bela Bartok (the son).
The unitarians situation in Hungary was resolved in 1948, between the
Hungarian Government and the Church, when the Church was under the control of
the Hungarian Government. Until that time the unitarian bishop was in Kolozsvar
and the church was led from Kolozsvar.. The Unitarian Church in Hungary was in
a situation when its headquarter and the majority of the members were in
Romania and the members remained in Hungary had to reorganize their life. First
could not elect a bishop, the church was led by vicebishops or vicar. The first
bishop was elected as I mentioned in 1971.
In 1988 july 7th the
ashes of Bela Bartok the musician are brought home and with unitarian funeral
service is rested in the main cemetery in Budapest.
The Sinod held in october 15-16. elects the new bishop in the
person of Huszti János, because the former bishop Ferencz József did retire
from his position. Vicebishop: Bencze Márton, lay president: Bartók Béla (the
son).
In 1992 was established the Unitarian Church in Györ. We know unitarians in
this city from 1920, but the congregation was organized into a church in 1992.
They bought a house for the minister parsonage and transformed a room into a
sanctuary. In 1997 they established the Bölöni Farkas Sándor Foundation with
the goal of building a church. Now they are raising money for their future
church building.
In march 26. 1994 the Consistory meating pronounces that unitarian minister
in Hungary can be only the minister who got his/her diploma from Protestant
Seminary of Kolozsvár, or the same Seminary validated the diploma acquired in
other seminary.
July 17th passed away Bartók Béla junior, former president
of the Hungarian Unitarian Church.
In the same year died
Dr. Ferencz József retired bishop.
The Sinod was held on november 12-13., where were elected
the new leaders of the Hungarian Unitarian Church.
In 2000 the Church Consistory Council decides to split the
Budapest First Church into two: the First Unitarian Church situated in
Nagy Ignác street and the Bela Bartok Unitarian Church situated in
Hőgyes Endre street (former Mission House), both having their own church building.
In 2001 at the
Sinod elects the new church
leadership: Bishop: Rázmány Csaba, church notary: Balázsi László, president:
Mikó István.
The new Unitarian Bishop in Hungary is Rev. Csaba Rázmány, an energic person
with the idea of renewal and outreach toward unitarian and universalist sisters
and brothers. He is very active in the social and religous activities to
promote our unitarian existence.
Today there are in Budapest three unitarian churches: the Budapest
Unitarian Church, the Bela Bartok Unitarian Church and the Pestszentlorinc
Unitarian Church.
Other churches in Hungary: Debrecen, Győr, Füzesgyarmat, Hódmezővásárhely,
Kocsord, Transdanubian, East-danubian, and newly established in 2004: Miskolc.
Totally there are 11 churches in Hungary, with many fellowships, served
by ministers from the main churches.
There are in Hungary 12 unitarian ministers with their families.
(Shorted translation of the work of historian: Kelemen
Miklós
Translated by Rev. Sándor Léta (Budapest) and Louis Éltető
(USA))
