“Lord God did not create Hungarian as a serial man. Not even the young, not the eldest of them. Pal Teleki was not a serial guy either. / … / He often complained in a narrow circle about how frustrated he was because the nation did not want or could not be Hungarian with what But even in his public speeches, he seldom forgot the warning about preserving our Hungarian way of life, that is, our independence jealously. / … / he was discouraged by seeing the inner shortcomings of our generation. / … / He often uttered bitter words about the truth. Our generation did not feel strong and sufficiently prepared, especially spiritually, for a great Hungarian historical effort. It is as if Pal Teleki wanted to bridge this gap between patriotic vocation, actual patriotic strength and spiritual readiness with his own death leap! ”
Eighty years ago, these lines were published by Endre Bajcsy-Zsilinszky (Endre Bajcsy-Zsilinszky: We are Burying a Great Galaxy. Independent Hungary, April 7, 1941, p. 5). On this day, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Pal Teleki, a prominent geographer and teacher who died in tragic circumstances, was welcomed for his last peace. He received the new head chaplain as a “son of the land of Rakuchi” for a year and a half. Earlier.
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He was a scientist and a teacher. He also remained a teacher as head of government. He has said many times that a nation should learn. For Hungarian, ethics and discipline. On February 22, 1939, he said in his inaugural address to the Prime Minister:
“I feel that I need to lead the way and especially the feeling that I need to lead souls on a new journey. (…) I feel that I should not take off as a teacher when I come here. (…) First of all, I feel that this is my duty. It must be maintained. Education on the unity of souls throughout the country, young and old alike. /…/ It is not important that everything is fine the next morning. It is not important that we live well in two weeks. (… It is important that we all live and die with the feeling that God once called from here that we will live here on this earth for generations: the free Hungarians. “
Already in his opening speech, he expressed an idea that he later cited many times: that the Magyars should walk on their feet, not imitate foreign patterns. Hungarians are part of Europe, and its mission specifically is to live by developing Hungarian traditions in the European community of peoples. In a modern way today: Count Teleki believed in a Europe of nations, not what some advocate today, in a federal Europe that ignores all the unique patriotic colors.
He was in Satu Mare a few days before his death. Here, too, the teacher spoke of him, not the politician. He said as an introduction:
“One of the reasons I came here, so to speak, is an honest Hungarian reason. He has a lot to tell the truth about many things, which I find easier because of my age and my disgust with the ingenuity of politics.”
(The National Gazette, March 28, 1941, p. 5)
It is not by chance that Pal Teleki expressed many times the unity of Hungarian and Christianity. Even as a politician, he remained a man of eternal moral principles.
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He was a Catholic and a faithful son of his church. Upon the inauguration of a close acquaintance, Bishop Istvan Madarasz of Kosice – on September 16, 1939 – (“as a son of the Rakuchi land / … / and as a loyal son of the Mother Church”) received the new high priest.
“In these difficult historical times, in the midst of an excess of elements and struggles of ideas, the soul of man somehow returns to eternal reality, eternal truths, enduring thoughts, eternal institutions, and thus to Our Lady Church. Faith is the most powerful thing we expect today. Faith is what helps in Overcoming difficulties, and gives strength in the struggle, be it the struggles of the mind, the heart, or the arm.When the world is in conflict in all respects and one is little assimilated, he becomes very young, and he sees how everything in the world fades away and how the strength of faith can be unique Its kind in such a difficult era as it is today. “
(The Hungarian Nation, September 17, 1939, p.6)
Teleki, who was also involved in the Hungarian scout movement (he was the head scout), liked to spend time among the youth. A month before the inauguration of Bishop Bird, Los Angeles, August 13, 1939, he gave a longer speech at the National Conference of Christian Youth Associations, stressing the importance of Christian faith and morals:
The nineteenth century taught in a way that the personality does not consist of a human being but of matter, and materialism, materialism, and universal socialism divided mankind and man into parts. We do not need this personality. We need a personality that means Christianity which, if it is strong in us, holds together Together. /…/
We have to be religious and ethical in the first place. I have been serving the craft of science for a few decades now, and the more one knows, the more humble one is, because religion is nothing but a knowledge of the infinite as opposed to being infinite.
In conclusion, here is the memory of an important person. It belongs to a real witness.
A few hours before his tragic death – on the evening of April 2, 1941 – Pal Teleki participated in a spiritual exercise at St. Stephen’s Church in Budapest. His confession, Bella Weitz, the Basilica parish priest – who today conducted church ceremonies in the cemetery on the first day of Holy Week for eighty years – more than two years after the tragedy, Teleki mentioned this in his memorial address in the Catholic Central District on October 21, 1943 for his last encounter With the count:
“On Wednesday April 2nd, he arrives at the cathedral in the evening. Without any celebration or reception, like other scout officers, he enters the church. So to speak, every place is busy. Those in the front row immediately offered him a seat. Nothing is more natural. With all-seeing eyes, note that there is still a place in the second row, at the end. He really occupies the place today indicated by a silver sign: the most Hungarian scout, Count Pal Teleki, heard his last spiritual practice here. Listen to the sermon. Almost motionless, eyes fixed on the speakers, Mihaly Marszel. Then I announced that the respectable gentlemen of the confession were already in the basilica, and the confession could be performed there. Also the scout officers set off to the church in good order. I had already started myself when I noticed that Teleki was heading After the salutation and some questions and answers, I said the following: There will be a communal mass tomorrow at 8:30, and usually you will perform the Easter confession and sacrifice anyway, it would be nice to stay with us.
– Do you recognize tomorrow morning?
– one more time.
“So I’m ready to confess tonight and I’ll be here by 1/4/8 tomorrow morning.” In a quarter of an hour, I think we’ll admit and you can pool at 1/28.
– It could be, it’s good anyway. But I know how tired you are and I recommend you admit now and then you can sleep a quarter of an hour longer tomorrow because it works for you.
“It can’t be, because I’m not ready to admit now.”
– How much time do you have tonight?
He took out his watch and replied that he still had time now because he only had to climb up to 3/4 of 9.
“If you have time, go to church well, and prepare for the confession, because it is better to do it tonight than tomorrow morning.”
– Please, it can’t be. Confession is a serious and sacred thing, and it cannot just be linked together.
“You can be sure that I don’t want that, either.” But if I tell you 10-15 minutes is enough to get ready, that’s enough, and anyway, I mean help if I have to.
“Should I do that I’m preparing now?”
– Of course it’s free.
– Good, then I’ll go.
And this good, weary and blessed man entered the shrine of the church, fell on his knees with his head folded in the palm of his hand, and prepared for Easter for 15 minutes.
The place of my confession was behind the main altar, where I confessed to the scouts who came to me, among whom, after its completion, Pal Teleki cs.cs. His officer also performed his Easter confession.
Then we talked about walking in front of the church for a half or three quarters of an hour.
Near his car, Antal Bab, the national president of the Scout Association, and CEO Emile Airy was waiting, because they also had one or two to report. We went to them now. In short, they did what they wanted. Teleki did open the car door, but he stopped for a minute, told a story and got in the car with her. But before we leave, he says from the window: So we will meet tomorrow morning at 1/2 8. Emile, you don’t have breakfast anymore, because we have breakfast here too.
Then the car took him. He did not arrive the next morning at 1/8. He did not come later. It has not come to this day. However, those who knew him and loved him so well were still waiting because he said he would be back by 1/2 8. “
(Majyar Qureir October 22, 1943 First Edition, p. 2-3)
(Laszlo-Szalay / Felvidék.ma)
