Evening star., 1949-02-14
Reactions to Mindszenty Trial

| To the Editor Of The Star:
The war crime trials set new frontiers Of
international justice by Furnishing all those
justly accused of crimes against society dur
ing the Second World War. Now is the
time to explore new frontiers of interna-
tional justice in peacetime. An international
crime committed in peacetime is no less a
crime because it is not committed during a
war or because it is committed against only
one or few persons.
AS Christian American citizen, I strongly
urge that we keep the soil of our Nation
clean and forbid forever from entering our
America and her territories Presiding Judge
Vilmos Otlhys and all known persons re-
SponSible for the injustice done to society
through the persecution of Cardinal Minds
zenty. I further urge that all heirs for three
future generations of such accused persons
also be forbidden to enter our fair land
This Punishment forever from America
should take the form Of a formal public
proclamation unanimously passed by both
the House of Representatives and the Sen
ate of the United States.
Lastly, I urge our Government to i'm
perfume in the name of religious freedom
all democratic nations to follow this pro-
cedure for the preservation of freedom
throughout the entire world.
Either we approve or we disapprove this
travesty of justice. FRANCIS ]. sPEH.
To the Editor Of The Star:
Why does q cardinal standing trial make
news all over the world?
Because Josef Cardinal Mindszenty, Hun
garian Archbishop of Esztergom, is domi-
nant figure in the Roman Catholic hier-
archy. AS member Of the College of Car
dinals, which numbers 10 when up to full
strength, any cardinal Is next in line to be-
come Pope. if the cardinal electors rally
around him after the death of a reigning
pontiff.
When state clashes with the church, or
the church stiffens its opposition, conflict
Stirs up controversial Sympathies. In this
case the state is backed up by an theology
alien to our Western way of life. The
church has been well-nigh repudiated in
Hungary, If the current trial Of Cardinal
Mindszenty is any clue to the present
condition.
Politically, Hungary has been on the losing
side Of wars since the earliest days Of its
contemporary history as the minor member
of the Austrian Hungarian dual monarchy
set up in 1857, and defeated by the Allies
in 1918.
Religiously, Hungary with Austria was one
Of the protectors of the Papacy until it's
senior partner decided to abrogate in 1870
the concordat which Austria and the Vatican
had signed IN 1855. This alienation had
arisen over the papal dogma Of the infalli-
bility Of the Pope.
A Hungarian may have the blood of three
peoples in his veins: Magyar, German or
Slovak. He has the choice of a number of
religions. About IS per cent of his country
men are Roman Catholics some 81 per cent
are Protestant Evangelical. and the rest may
be Greek Catholic, Jewish, or Of the minor
faiths. Not more than 10000 900 people live
in Hungary.
Why should the spark which lit the fuse
of World War I originate in the Austro-
Hungarian territory when Bosnian Serb
shot the heir to the Austrian throne in
1914? That was the beginning of the end
for the monarchy and dual kingdom, and
many other sympathizers of the Central
Powers in World War I.
Is another spark creeping into pile of
explosives sfar more atomic in their chain
reaction than anything which was known
IS years ago, or even as little as four years
past? Some of the most violent wars ever
recorded in history, apart from the major
wars of the goth century, were fought
due to religious motives In other words,
they were protracted conflicts between the
forces of church and state, one or the other
the opposition.
The free world looks on this recent trial
in Hungary as something which may some
day strike elsewhere. There are ruthless
powers on the march. If plain citizen Of
Hungary were on trial, instead of Cardinal
Mindszenty, for the same charges hurled at
the cardinal, the rest of the world would
know nothing about it. But there are ap-
proximately one third of billion Roman
Catholics in the world. and their sympathies
and those of their leaders can be aroused
to action.
The unfortunate aspect of this current
struggle is that the world stands in pc
culiar position. Not all the world is Cath
olic, neither is it subservient to the dictates
of the Kremlin. A very large segment of
the world is democratic, or has leaningS in
that direction. They are liberty-loving
people, and some profess many evangelical
faiths.
But If the cardinals trial in Hungary is
signal for war to the hllt between the
Papal church and communism" as Wash
ington pastor told his church people, and
also 1.-The signal for war between an anti
Christian colossus and any church which
refuses to submit to its supremacy and regi-
mentation," which way shall any one turn
who does not care to choose to align himself
on either side?
Is there any third party in this war? Is
there any escape from the evil to come? AS
the only satisfactory way out of the dilem-
ma in these words: Come, my people, enter
thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors
about thee: hide thysef as it were for little
moment, until the indignation be overpast."
CHARLES ALLEN RENTFRO.
To the Editor of The Star:
The protestations of Christianity which I
hear so often against the persecution OF
NV lioo1 (onN Nfh
me of these scenes where groups from be-
hind the safety of closed and locked doors
watch through their windows the persecu-
ton of individuals and then, lifting their
windows little, raise great hue and cry
while the persecuted ones watch in vain for
the doors to open and for help and assist
ance to come to them. LEWIS KANICK.
To the Editor of The Star
Ac a protestapt (Preshvterian denomina-