| Main Performers | Rev. Richard Downey (Archbishop of Liverpool),
Rev. John C Heenan,
The Duke of Norfolk,
Barbara Ward,
Sir Patrick Hannon,
Tom Bryan - speakers,
George Malcolm - organ |
| Set List | 'God Save the King' (The National Anthem),
Hymn, 'Faith of Our Fathers',
Hymn, 'God Bless Our Pope' |
| Performance Notes | "There may be aspects of Cardinal Josef Mindszenty's trial which are quite incomprehensible to the distant observer, but the sentence passed on him today by the Budapest People's Court is eloquent and clear enough. It reveals, above all else, the determination of the Communist regime in Hungary, 'the forces of darkess' as Cardinal Mindszenty has repeatedly and publicly described it, to rid itself of one who was a constant opponent and a defiant crictic. The Prince Primate of Hungary is declared guilty on the formidable counts of violating the law for the defence of the Republic, organising conspiracy against the Republic and of treason and black-market currency dealings. His sentence is life imprisonment, plus the confiscation of his property.
It is true to say that no singly post-war event - and there have been some ugly ones - has so disturbed the conscience of the civilised world. For Cardinal Mindszenty's trial and the event which led up to it are not merely the domestic affair of Communist Hungary, however strongly Budapest (now Moscow) protests that this is so. Nor is it merely the concern of the Roman Catholic Church. It reflects the clash which is bound to occur wherever men of faith and spirit oppose the forces of materialism. Cardinal Mindszenty's reported confession and withdrawal of his pre-trial repudiation have undoubtedly puzzled many people, but the happenings in the Budapest court room cannot confuse the issues which brought him into conflict with the State and to his present predicament.
The Cardinal offered a lead to more than Hungarian Catholics by his fearless opposition to the 'prowling wolves' of State tyranny. The conflict between Church and State came into the open in the course of a bitter quarrel over the nationalisation of the Catholic schools, but there was much else behind it. Perhaps the most appropriate rider to the verdict of the People's Court was the one which Cardinal Mindszenty himself voiced a year ago and which was quoted by the Archibishop of Liverpool at last night's Albert Hall protest meeting:
'There is no peace today. All these injustices, cruelties, arrests, penal servitudes and deportations are not giving the impression of peace. They fill us with disgust against the fruit of hatred and terrorism. We Hungarian Catholics want peace. If we cannot find it we will turn to our hearts and pray until the evil passes. Truth always remains truth even if it is a lost voice, and a lie remains a lie even if millions declare it and millions accept it.'" (Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail 8 February 1949)
"Dr J C Heenan of St Nicholas's said 'When we read of the gigantic Communist victories in the Far East, we find it hard to picture a like fate for our own country. How can we imagine a Communist army of occupation in Britain? It would sound ridiculous to talk to Generalissimo Pollitt or Marshal Palme Durr or Commissar Willie Gallacher. It may sound absurd but I assure you it is not impossible. We may smile, but the Communist does not smile. Humour is the first casualty of this inhuman creed.' Speaking of the imprisonment of priests, nuns, and lay readers, he said 'They are Christians, and the Communists are dertermined to erase the name of Christ from the face of the earth.' At one point a man shouted from the balcony - 'Support Sir Oswald Mosley and the Church against Communism.' There was no stir among the audience." (Dundee Courier 8 February 1949)
During this meeting, the Anti-Partition League handed out leaflets to the audience reading -
"To freedom-loving Christians, the persecuted Catholics of North-East Ireland wish to be associated with you in your protest against the ruthless tyranny in East Europe. During the last 30 years they have experienced similar trials because of their Catholic faith. They join in your heartfelt prayers for freedom of religious thought everywhere, and ask in return that you be not unmindful of their sufferings when asking for God's deliverance for the persecuted of Hungary. Include therefore, a word of condemnation of the abandonment of four hundred and thirty thousand Catholics in Northern Ireland to Orange terrorism and oppression". |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1949/37) |