The force of truth

On March 29 the Hungarian Catholic Church will celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty, who fearlessly advocated the freedom of the Church; an opposer of Communism and of the brutal Stalinist persecution in his country.The force of truth. "He was a brave, determined person. As Paul VI said after his death, he was intrepid. He deeply loved his Church and his homeland. He defended his people, defended his faith, and defended humanity in an era when the Country and the rest of the world were exposed to destruction, carried out by historical forces that were against mankind. According to the measure of earthly powers he was fragile, but he irradiated the force of truth. For this, he was feared. His figure and his devoutness touch our soul very deeply. His beatification cause was opened in Rome several years ago, and since 2006 also our Bishops’ Conference takes part in the cause: we are officially requesting the late cardinal’s beatification. We consider him saintly". These are the opening lines of the Message drawn up by the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference on the 120th anniversary of the birth of the Prince Primate of Hungary. Life profile. József Mindszenty, the son of a peasant, was born in Csehimindszent on March 29 1892. He was forced to face dictatorship when he was still young. At the end of the First World War he was closed in Communist prisons. For twenty-five years he offered his devoted pastoral service in Zalaegerszeg and was considered a true apostle of the city both at religious and social level. He continued his office in 1944 also in Veszprém, in his capacities as bishop, where he was jailed by the dictatorship of the Arrow Cross for his activity as a good shepherd. In 1945 he was elected Archbishop of Esztergom and then Cardinal of the Catholic Church. Cardinal Mindszenty, a devout preacher, taught the faithful entrusted to his pastoral care, and as shepherd of the nation said: "We have to become the Country with one million praying Hungarians!" Also in the Bishops’ Conference letters he conveyed his opposition to materialist Communism whose purpose was the annihilation of the Church and the impoverishment of the values of the nation. Communist powers intended to shatter and intimidate the bishops, the clergy and the faithful. In the framework of the anti-ecclesial campaign designed with deceitful wiles – using also the influence of the press, rallies and of radio broadcasts – the second day of Christmas of 1948 the Primate of Hungary was illegitimately arrested. After spending many years in prison, during the 1956 revolution, when, his posterity claim, he served as a guide, Cardinal Mindszenty was released for a few days only. When the Communists returned to power he was forced to flee to the Embassy of the United States of America. After lengthy negotiations between the Holy See and Hungary he lived in exile first in the Vatican and then in Vienna. Until the day of his death in Austria in 1975 he dedicated himself to pastoral activity for the Hungarian faithful abroad. The beatification cause of Cardinal Mindszenty was promoted by foreign priests in 1986. In 1994 they were joined by the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Cardinal László Paskai, and by the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference.Initiatives. There will be a number of significant events to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of cardinal József Mindszenty, in Hungary and abroad. In March a conference in Budapest will focus on the saintly life of the cardinal while on the 31st of the same month a Thanksgiving Mass will be celebrated in Szombathely’s Cathedral. A Mass will be officiated on May 5 in Esztergom’s Basilica along with a national prayer for the beatification of Cardinal Mindszenty. The homily will be delivered by the archbishop of Bologna Ccardinal Carlo Caffarra. An exhibition on the life of the late Cardinal will be showcased in Vienna in the Jubilee year.