Since 1991, the Rákóczi Association has commemorated the life’s work of János Esterházy every March and awards the Esterházy Prize to individuals or institutions that, in the spirit of the martyr from the historic Hungarian Felvidék region (today’s Slovakia) preserve his spiritual legacy – for Christianity, the entire Hungarian nation, and the peoples of Central Europe.
In his opening speech, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás explained that János Esterházy, who lived for only 56 years, is one of the greatest Hungarians of the 20th century. He said that it is an ancient law of Christianity that martyrdom is one of the greatest, most selfless, and most valuable deeds.
It takes extraordinary faith for a person who always stays on the right path to sacrifice his earthly life for his convictions and for others,”
the minister emphasized.
He also recalled that János Esterházy remained Hungarian after World War I in the ceded territories, he fought for the rights of Hungarians in the successor states, was the only member of the Slovak parliament to vote against the deportation of Jews, saved hundreds of persecuted people on his own estate, and ultimately endured 12 years of communist forced labor and imprisonment without despair, sustained only by his unshakeable belief in the otherworldly truth of the Christian faith.
As Gergely Gulyás pointed out, his rehabilitation is unfortunately still pending. Justice lies in the hands of the Czech and Slovak states. As he emphasized, it is difficult to imagine that anything could change in the future as long as the racist discrimination of the Beneš Decrees remains in force.
This year, János Orosch, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Nagyszombat, and János Fónagy, Hungarian politician and business leader, received the prestigious Esterházy Prize in the Parliament building.
The award was presented to János Fónagy for his achievements in public life and in his profession, for his dedicated advocacy for the interests of the Rákóczi Association, and for everything he has done and continues to do on behalf of the Jewish communities in Hungary.
This year’s Esterházy Prize winners János Fónagy (left) and János Orosch (right). Photo: MTI/Illyés Tibor
János Fónagy spoke about coexistence in the Carpathian Basin, recounting the history of his own family. He said that the Carpathian Basin offers a colorful kaleidoscope that provides us with opportunities. “That is why we must not leave here, because there is no world more colorful and beautiful than this one,” he explained.
Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás during his opening speech. Photo: Hungary Today
János Orosch was honored for everything he has done and continues to do for the spirit of János Esterházy, as well as for Slovakian Hungarian Catholics and Christianity. He comes from Dénesd near Bratislava (Pozsony), where he grew up and where Hungarians, Germans, and Slovaks have always lived together peacefully.
Fact
Beneš Decrees: a series of laws drafted by the Czechoslovak government after WW II, that treated German and Hungarian citizens as collective criminals, enforcing racial segregation and disenfranchisement. As a result, almost all ethnic Germans and Hungarians, those who had settled there during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, but also those who had ancestors that had lived in Czechoslovakia for centuries prior to World War II, lost their Czechoslovak citizenship and property. The state then expelled them from their homes.
“János Esterházy was not only a courageous politician, but also a modern confessor of the faith, a faithful, living witness to Christ,” said János Orosch, recalling his life.
His sacrifice commits us to unwavering loyalty, to courageous advocacy for the truth, and to bearing witness to love in today’s complex world,”
said the archbishop.
Fact
János Esterházy (1901–1957) was the political leader of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia between the two world wars. After World War II, he was arrested and extradited by the Czechoslovak authorities to the Soviet Union, where he was sentenced to forced labor on trumped-up charges and sent to the Gulag. In 1947, the Slovak National Court sentenced him to death for “collaboration with the fascists.” He was later granted a presidential pardon and sentenced to life imprisonment, which was then commuted to a 25-year prison term as part of a general amnesty.
Related article
Slovakia’s Beneš Decrees Affect the Rule of Law, Not Just Minorities
Anyone who publicly rejects the Beneš peace order can be punished with six months in prison. This is a gross violation of freedom of expression, as it restricts a fundamental right.Continue reading
Via MTI, ma7.sk; Featured image: Facebook/Gulyás Gergely
The post The Life of János Esterházy Is An Example of Commitment to European Christian Values appeared first on Hungary Today.
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