The Romanian Revolution 35 Years On: A Healing Central Europe
‘The Romanian Revolution teaches several lessons. First, an age-old truth: Freedom isn’t free. There is a lot of talk about how it was the cooperation of superpowers that made Central European democratization possible. But Romania is the main example that it would not have been enough that Gorbachev caved in to Reagan and Bush Sr. If the Romanian people had remained silent, there would have been no pressure of a critical magnitude to remove the dictator.’
Triumph, Decline — and Renewal?
‘Freedom, understood concretely, is a civilizational, not a natural, construct. This essentially conservative argument could provide the very basis for the continuation of a certain political tradition without which we, modern souls, would live in a much more cruel and inhumane world.’
Orbán Proposes Christmas Ceasefire, Zelenskyy Sweeps it Off the Table
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán proposed a Christmas ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia as a conclusion to Hungary’s EU Presidency. However, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the proposal outright, stating: ‘There can be no discussions about the war that Russia wages against Ukraine without Ukraine.’
‘Man does not have an environment, but a world’
‘It is no longer clear where the boundaries between nature and culture, human and non-human, artificial and natural lie. In the face of this great uncertainty, we need to rethink fundamental questions such as what the social order is. It is no exaggeration to say that we need to recreate our worlds on a planet where the very foundations of life are being called into question.’
No One Knows for Sure What’s over There but Him
‘It is not obligatory to accept the ransom paid for us, but—honestly—who would not accept a hand extended to them in an extreme crisis? And the outcome of our fate in eternity is a situation of considerable importance.’
Christ-Seeking, Border-Walking, Kókonya-Blessing — How Well Do We Know Easter Folk Traditions?
Why was the statue of the risen Christ hidden among the crosses at the village border? Why did people walk the boundaries of their settlement at Easter? What rituals were tied to the blessing of Easter foods? In this article, we explore the traditional folk customs of Easter Sunday.
PM Orbán Talks Trump, Trade War in Interview
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary has recently given an interview to local journalist András Hont, in which he expressed his view that US President Donald Trump’s ‘tariff wars’ will end in his regaining tariff deals with other countries, and even gave an estimation on when those will be finalized.
The Removal of Those with Zionist Attitudes — Anne Frank Jewish School Reports, 1964–1976
‘The surveillance of the Jewish high school is an exemplary case of the repressive policies of the communist dictatorship, in which innocent, sometimes underage individuals were harassed and monitored in a manner that would be considered a severe violation of rights by today’s standards.’
‘Everything has its allocated time’ — A Conversation with the Bodor Family
‘Brick by brick, pew by pew, bell by bell, we dismantled the old church and transported it to Arad. It was an amazing feeling to save everything—the pulpit, communion table, Moses seat, and bell! The Arad County authorities approved the plan, but Bucharest vetoed it. That was the final blow that broke my father’s spirit…’
Holy Saturday: The Day of the Consecration of Fire and Water
What does the flame that was lit again on Holy Saturday represent? What does the ember of consecrated fire protect against? Why do we shake apple trees and keychains when the bells ring again? In this article we look at the traditions and customs of Holy Saturday.
