HUNGARY" "
There are “political reasons” behind the fresh accusations levelled against a Hungarian cardinal of having been a “spy priest” during the Communist regime. That’s the view of Bishop András Veres, General Secretary of the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference, who has commented to the Hungarian Catholic press agency Magyar Kurír on the publication in recent days of an article in the weekly magazine of literature and politics ‘Élet és Irodalom’, in which Cardinal László Paskai is cited as an active agent during the Communist period. “The article comes as no surprise to us said Msgr. Veres -, but the choice of the time of publication was clearly motivated by political reasons. It should be noted that even the author of the article himself declares that the person called ‘Teacher’ exclusively reported on ‘benevolent relations’. He also says that the description of this person as an ‘agent’ is only ostensible. The judgement made at the end of the article reflects only the author’s opinion”. “The Hungarian Bishops’ Conference pointed out Bishop Veres decided some time ago to set up a committee of historical research, not to investigate individual persons, but to clarify the persecution suffered by the Church during the Communist period”. FACT FILE Some Hungarian Catholic priests have been accused in recent times of having acted as spies on behalf of the Communist regime. In March 2004 a list of Catholic priests who had acted as spies during this period was published. The public debate that followed these revelations was especially sparked by an article written by a Hungarian historian, for 40 years resident in Germany, who documented these facts. But even then Msgr. Veres recalled that “during the Communist regime every sector of society was under surveillance. Even those in lower positions were obliged to prepare ‘reports on the surrounding environment'”. “The Communist Party he explained established this system of surveillance also among priests and religious, because they were considered the main ideological enemy. To perpetuate this system every form of physical and mental terror was used. There were many people who heroically resisted in spite of the sufferings inflicted on them, often to the point of sacrificing their own life. Many laypeople, religious and priests were among them. The Catholic Church paid a high price for their courage. Other priests left the country or moved to parishes in the provinces to be able to continue their pastoral work unhindered. Others fell under the burden of suffering and agreed to collaborate. They became the victims of an inhumane system”. Bishop Veres had then asked for “forgiveness” on behalf of “those who had offended their companions and God”. He also recalled that some, “after the change in regime, had apologised to those whose activities they had reported”.
