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BOX-FOLDER-REPORT: 31-4-168
TITLE:             The Death of Archbishop Groesz and His Replacements
BY:                LEN
DATE:              1961-10-7
COUNTRY:           Hungary
ORIGINAL SUBJECT:  Hungarian Research and Evaluation Note
THEMATIC SUBJECTS: Hungary--1956-1965, Church and State, Personalities

--- Begin ---

7 OCTOBER 1961

CURT(H). THE DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP GROESZ AND HIS REPLACEMENTS	F-59

(Hungarian Research and Evaluation Note) -- Dr. Joseph
Groesz, Archbishop of Kalocsa and Chairman of the Bench of the
Catholic Bishops, was buried at Kalocsa on October 6. The same
evening Radio Budapest reported briefly on the funeral. The
"Homeland Radio" -- broadcasting for Hungarians abroad -- going
on the air later the same evening gave a somewhat more detailed
account of the ceremony. Dr. Endre Hamvas, Bishop of Csanad,
delivered the funeral oration. According to both Radio Budapest
and the "Homeland Radio" he stressed that the late Archbishop
Groesz was a "devoted worker for peace" and that he furthered with
dedication the good relations between the state and the Catholic
Church. A delegation of the Hungarian Government led by the
head of the State Office for Religious Matters attended the
ceremony. The fact that the late Archbishop was sentenced to 15 years
in prison on trumped-up charges in June 1951 (hardly a year after
he put his signature to an agreement between the state and the
Bench of Catholic Bishops), was kept in jail until October 1955,
was under house arrest until May 1956, and, though pardoned, was
never rehabilitated, was not for obvious reasons mentioned in the
funeral address.

Preserving the Status Quo

The death of Archbishop Groesz made it necessary to fill
two Important positions in the government of the Catholic Church.
One was the Archbishopric of Kalocsa, the other was the
chairmanship of the Bench of Catholic Bishops.

On October 4 the Chapter of the Kalocsa diocese met and
elected Dr. Imre Varkonyi to the office of vicar-capitular. On
October 6 the Bench of Catholic Bishops unanimously elected
Dr. Endre Hamvas, Bishop of Csanad, to be chairman of the Bench.
Thus the two important posts held by Archbishop Groesz have been
entrusted to new and different hands.

What Is the significance of these appointment? Will it
bring any far-reaching changes In the government of the Catholic
Church in Hungary, and in Church-State relations? In view of the
careers and characters of the two men chosen for the new offices,
it would seem that the regime is trying to preserve the existing
situation as it took shape under Archbishop Groesz, in other
words preserve the "status quo". Such a solution is quite
satisfactory for the regime, and for the Church It at least indicates
no worsening of the situation.

Dr. Varkonyi

The new vicar capitular of the Diocese of Kalocsa,
Dr. Imre Varkonyi, is a former professor of theology; for five
years he was rector of the Szeged seminary. Since November 1958

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X CURT (H) (1) THE DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP GROESZ AND HIS REPLACEMENTS	F-60
Hungarian Research, and Evaluation Note
1961

he has been the director of the Hungarian "Actio Catolica". He
has often been mentioned among the clergymen in the company of
Archbishop Groesz, Hence the conclusion that he was rather
close to the late Archbishop, In May 1961 he was entrusted by him
with the central direction of the Catholic libraries. Though
Dr. Varkonyi could never have been director of "Actio Catolica"
had not his person been acceptable to the regime, he is not (and
never has been) a "peace priest". (The peace priests, however,
have always treated him with sympathy and deference.) A rather
colorless personality, Dr. Varkonyi falls into that category of
clergymen who, while not unfriendly to the regime, do not go out
of their way to lavish praise on it. With the election of a
vicar capitular the administration of the Kalocsa diocese will
continue to operate. Archbishop Groesz had also an auxiliary
bishop, in the person of Dr. Janos Bard, who can continue the
duties pertaining to the position of a bishop (e.g. ordaining of
priests) which are outside the competence of a vicar capitular.
Thus the Archbishopric of Kalocsa can carry out all its functions
until a new Archbishop is appointed.

Bishop Hamvas

The office to which Bishop Hamvas has been appointed is
of much more consequence. As Chairman of the Bench of Catholic
Bishops he will have primarily to keep in close contact with the
highest representatives of the regime and try to safeguard at
least the present integrity of the Church. Bishop Hamvas, who
was 70 in September 1960, has a very distinguished record as a
teacher of theology; he is author of the textbook on religious
instruction now used in Hungarian schools. He has been bishop
of Csanad since 1944. Though he has not suffered imprisonment
under the Communist regime he vas the target of fierce attacks during
the trial of Archbishop Groesz in June 1951 and was accused of
having extended assistance to one of the defendants, a monk
sentenced to death on trumped-up charges of murder, etc. After
the trial he was forced to send a "repentent" letter to Premier
Dobi asking for pardon. Ever since, Hamvas has been the Catholic
bishop who has gone the furthest in formal contacts with regime
personalities and organizations. In spring 1958 he was member
of a group of Hungarian clergymen which paid a two-week visit to
the Soviet Union. He has been member of the National Council of
the People's Front since October 19 54 and from time to time has
published articles (on "peace work") in the Front's daily
"Magyar Nemzet". In May 1957 he became chairman of the Catholic
Committee of the National Peace Council. He was on the Hungarian
Preparatory Committee for the Vienna Youth Festival of 1959. On
his 70th birthday he received the Second Class of the People's
Democratic Banner Order. So much cooperation, accompanied by
statements supporting the "cause of peace", may well have created
the impression that Bishop Hamvas is a "handy" man for the regime.
While he has never trespassed the limits of his high ecclesiastical
office, it is true that he appears as a conciliatory man, not
likely to cause complications on his own initiative in Church-State

[page 3]

X CURTA (H) -(2) DEATH OP ARCHBISHOP GROESZ AND HIS REPLACEMENTS	F-6l
Hungarian Research and Evaluation Note

relations. Hence an ideal man to maintain the "status quo".

Strictly speaking not Hamvas but the Bishop of
Szekes-fehervar, Dr. Lajos Shvoy, should have become the new chairman
of the Bench of Catholic Bishops. As there are at present no
Archbishops in office, Bishop Shvoy ought to have been elected
on the basis of seniority. He is, however, now very old
(over 80) and in very poor health. But even more important,
he is high in the regime's black book for his uncompromising
attitude. In all probability it was only his advanced age and
bad health which kept him out of the dock in the recent (June
1961) trial of Catholic clergy-and laymen; it also possibly kept
him out of jail. To preserve the "status quo" the bishops
evidently deemed it necessary to pass over Bishop Shvoy in
favor of Bishop Hamvas.

Conclusions

Final comments might be made:

First, the "status quo", while it seems to be acceptable
to both sides for the time being, might prove very harmful to
the Church in the long run. It can and will certainly be misused
by the regime to pursue its own political aims.

Second, while the solution described above is a rather
undramatic and routine one, the real trial for relations between
Church and state will come as soon as the Holy See tries to fill
the vacant Archbishopric of Kalocsa.

  OSA / Guide / RIP / 1956 / RFE/RL Background Reports : Subjects | Browse | Search