From the gallows to “you can do anything”
The Dungeon Visitor Center addresses this topic, among many others; day after day, many people are surprised, for example, that even in the 1500s, blasphemy was clearly punishable by death, whereas today we use His name with impunity in any context, whether in a fit of anger or as an insult. Our exhibition provides detailed information on this, and does not fail to mention that roughly a hundred years (in 1924—not so long ago!) Attila József was sentenced to nine months in prison for his poem 'Rebellious Christ'— even though, if we read it, it is certainly debatable whether what he put to paper was indeed blasphemy. On behalf of our experts and myself, I can say that there is clearly no such intention in it, as the poet’s disposition, his conception of faith, and his “God-centered” poems all confirm. But where do we stand on this today? As we have noted, unfortunately, every day the name of God is uttered by many, many people, peppered with adjectives and actions, and it is even frequently written down amidst the daily flood of social media platforms and their constant use. In many cases, they are treated the same as those who use fake profiles. It’s a shame… Can we today, with impunity, do what people once paid for with their lives—even immediately—those who, in a moment of recklessness, spoke the unspeakable, driven by their passions? Or is the whole reason simply that society and moral standards have changed? Or perhaps it is that it has become impossible to trace who, when, why, and with what motivation takes God’s name in vain— that is, violates the Ten Commandments, which form the foundation of our faith and way of life? These are thought-provoking questions, though not merely of a moral nature. We know of regrettable cases from the recent past. József Mindszenty, Bishop of Veszprém—whose trials, incidentally, are well documented in the Dungeon Visitor Center—ordained seminarians in this city who eventually followed him to prison. It is clear that they were not deprived of their freedom for blasphemy; it is well known why he received a life sentence. The letter of protest, which was drafted against the destruction of the country and the persecution of the Jews. Our reverence for God is evident from the title of the creed personally handed over to the Arrow Cross government; the title of this text is: Juramentum non – no oath, and its subtitle: One cannot serve both the revolution and the Church at the same time. This was enough for the Arrow Cross Party to put Mindszenty in their crosshairs and, physically, to place him in the Veszprém fortress along with his staff and sixteen seminarians awaiting ordination on November 27, 1944, and to spend the last Christmas of the war there as well. The Jewish protest against persecution in itself touches upon another commandment from the Ten Commandments, the fifth: “Thou shalt not kill.”. If we think about it more deeply, even more commandments! Although not included in the Civil Code, these divine laws, without a doubt, take precedence over any man-made law. Therefore, just two remarks, two thoughts at the end of this essay, which are worth pondering a little. First, the question of why blasphemy was ultimately excluded from the scope of criminal enforcement, as a criminal offense, which is more serious than blasphemy, and whether there is a chance of restoring its enforcability. On the other hand, how can the systems created by human powers—which have exercised tyranny from time to time—become of a higher order— —stand in the face of the holy laws of the Good God? Around the time of Reformation Day, it is worth reflecting on these matters, regardless of one’s denominational affiliation. Our visitor center is happy to assist you with this.