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Pope
Sylvester II (left) is supposed to have sent Stephen of Hungary a crown.
History of Christianity is a six part survey designed to stimulate your curiosity by providing glimpses of pivotal events and persons in the spread of the church.
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e, me! Over here, your highness! Help me."
The cries of the beggars grew loud as they thrust forward their hands,
shoving and pushing, trying to reach their king.
As usual, King Stephen of Hungary was distributing alms himself. The
clamor grew to a roar. Suddenly the tone of the crowd changed. The king
was down! No doubt the timid drew back in fear, anticipating retaliation.
They need not have feared.
The king regained his feet, but instead of a frown, his face wore a laugh.
"I will always give alms to anyone who asks me," he assured his people.
Born in 975, he was given the name Vaik. Vaik's father was Duke Geyza.
After Germany defeated Hungary in 955, Geyza realized that the loosely
knit and feuding people of Hungary had to unite and adopt European ways.
He strong-armed many of the nobles into unity and sent for Christian teachers
from the west. He was baptized along with his family. Vaik, who was ten
years old, took the Bible name "Stephen." Stephen married Gisela, sister
of the man who became Henry II of the Holy Roman Empire. Many powerful
knights accompanied her to her new home, and became Stephen's strongest
supporters. He gave them big chunks of land and used their arms to put
down the independent nobles.
Up to that time, supreme command of the Magyars (the dominant race of
Hungary) had been an elected position within the ruling family. Some of
Stephen's older relatives resented being bypassed without an election
and they revolted. Stephen was ruthless in crushing them. He then became
the first king of Hungary. Supposedly Pope Sylvester II issued a bull
(a decree) making Stephen king by his authority and sent him a crown;
but historians claim that this letter is a sixteenth century forgery.
Stephen was named a saint in 1083 because he Christianized his new nation.
He built many churches, established bishops and archbishops, set aside
lands to support the church and brought in Benedictine monks to teach
the people. When the pagans resisted the incoming religion, Stephen crushed
them and forced them to convert to Christianity.
The conversion of the masses was only skin deep, of course. When they
did not attend church as the king wished, he ordered that market was to
be held only in church towns on Sunday. He hoped that by getting people
near a church, they would be lured in. The practical king also advised
his son, Emeric, "Make strangers welcome in this land, let them keep their
languages and their customs, for weak and fragile is the realm which is
based on a single language or on a single set of customs." For the most
part, he followed his own advice and the result was a greater unity for
Hungary than for some neighboring Balkan states.
Stephen hoped Emeric would follow him to the throne, but his son was
killed in a hunting accident. Stephen's nephews then plotted to take the
throne and even tried to kill him. These events combined with illness
to make his last days a bitter experience. His feast is held on August
16, every year.
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