Pressed by a Double Loyalty: Hungarian Attendance at the Second Vatican Council, 1959-1965

The Second Vatican Council was a significant event in the 20th century history of the Catholic Church, and the book analyzes the relationship between the Council and the Ostpolitik of the Vatican through the history of the Hungarian presence at Vatican II. Pope John XXIII's election in 1958 was a catalyst, and the new, pragmatic model in Hungarian church politics made Hungarian participation possible. The Council was not primarily an ecclesial event but remained closely joined to the negotiations between the Holy See and the Kádár regime, with Hungary becoming the experimental laboratory of the Vatican's new eastern policy. Fejérdy suggests that it was a decision of the Holy See.

Format: Hardback
Length: 446 pages
Publication date: 17 January 2025
Publisher: Central European University Press

The Second Vatican Council, held in the mid-20th century, had a profound impact on the Catholic Church's history. This book explores the relationship between the Council and the Vatican's Ostpolitik through the lens of the Hungarian presence at Vatican II. Pope John XXIII, elected in 1958, played a crucial role in this process. Recognizing the need to renew contacts with the Church behind the Iron Curtain, he sought to engage with the Vatican. The new, pragmatic model in Hungarian church politics also facilitated Hungarian participation at the Council. Following the 1956 Revolution, churches in Hungary were willing to compromise, believing that the regime would last. However, Vatican II was not solely an ecclesial event but also closely intertwined with negotiations between the Holy See and the Kádár regime. During the Council, Hungary became a testing ground for the Vatican's new eastern policy. The question of whether it was a Vatican decision or a Soviet instruction remains a subject of debate. Fejérdy suggests that it was a decision of the Holy See.

Weight: 726g
Dimension: 164 x 237 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789633861424