In Tordán, Transylvania, they celebrated the fact that in 1568, the parliament that was the first in the world to enshrine freedom of religion in law was held here in the framework of a unitary service. The Unitarian Church founded in Transylvania considers the declaration of religious freedom in Torda as its own birthday.
At the ceremony, János Árpád Potápi, the State Secretary responsible for national policy at the Prime Minister's Office, explained: the declaration of religious freedom was one of the early enshrining of human rights in law, and it was also one of the secrets of Transylvania's survival. This is how the ancestors protected their communities. He emphasized: even today it must be said that cooperation is needed not only in communities, but also between communities.
He mentioned: With the support of the Hungarian government, 650 church properties have been renovated or built in Transylvania since 2010, and 480 kindergartens since 2016. He believed that the parliamentary election in Hungary in April will also be about whether this work can be preserved and continued. He asked the pastors present to encourage their followers to register and vote.
Unitarian bishop István Kovács emphasized in his short message:
"we must hold each other's hands firmly in this storm so that we can remain on the foundation of Christianity".
Vilmos Kolumbán, rector of the Protestant Theological Institute in Cluj-Napoca, recalled that the institution he led was created in 1948 under the compulsion of the communist state, but the joint training of Reformed, Lutheran and Unitarian pastors brought the Protestant churches of Transylvania closer together and made their cooperation effective.
Unitarian pastor Lajos Józsa István from Torda attributed the fact that the hymn of the Transylvanian Saxons mentions Transylvania as a "land of patience" and "home of all faiths" to the proclamation of religious freedom.
Pastor Árpád Csete from Homoródalmás, president of the National Association of Unitarian Ministers, emphasized in his sermon at the holiday service that the law of religious freedom is the law of love, the law of mutual understanding and acceptance. According to him, the law is still alive four and a half centuries later because it was drafted based on the teachings of Jesus. He added: the commandment to love God and love your neighbor is still a solid foundation today.
The celebration continued with the laying of wreaths at the religious freedom monument inaugurated four years ago on the main square of Torda. The Cluj-Napoca ceremony in the afternoon ends with the wreath-laying of the statue of Ferenc Dávid, who initiated the legalization of religious freedom.
The Transylvanian Parliament of 1568, held in Torda, was the first in the world to enact freedom of religion and conscience on January 13, at a time when Europe was characterized by conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. Similar decisions were made only decades later in the western half of Europe.
MTI
Featured image: erdely7csodaja.ro
