Edict of Torda
The Original Edict
The Edict of Torda (or Turda) is the earliest known legal guarantee of religious freedom in Christian Europe. King John Sigismund, encouraged by his Unitarian Minister Francis David, during the Diet of 15681 issued the following proclamation (roughly translated into English):
His majesty, our Lord, in what manner he - together with his realm - legislated in the matter of religion at the previous Diets, in the same matter now, in this Diet, reaffirms that in every place the preachers shall preach and explain the Gospel each according to his understanding of it, and if the congregation like it, well. If not, no one shall compel them for their souls would not be satisfied, but they shall be permitted to keep a preacher whose teaching they approve. Therefore none of the superintendents or others shall abuse the preachers, no one shall be reviled for his religion by anyone, according to the previous statutes, and it is not permitted that anyone should threaten anyone else by imprisonment or by removal from his post for his teaching. For faith is the gift of God and this comes from hearing, which hearings is by the word of God.2
File:TordaEdict.jpg
Aladar Korosfoi-Kriesch's famous painting of Francis David (or David Ferenc) and the 1568 Proclamation of Religious Freedom at Torda3
This edict was not only important because it was the first of its kind but also because it occurred during a very contentious religious period and location. The city of Torda/Turda in modern times is in Transylvania but in 1568 it was at the center of a maelstrom of power struggles between cultures, religions and thrones. Having occured during the counter-Reformation and during a time when national churches were being established4, this kind of edict of toleration was direct renunciation of the imposition and nationalization of a single religion.
The tradition of the Edict of Torda, a tradition of religious tolerance, was carried on by Unitarians through great difficulty even though later leaders replaced King John and political forces would issue other edicts that later the renounced the Edict of Torda. Francis David died in prison under the ascendancy of the Catholic church and the rule of Prince Báthori István.5
Modern Re-Affirmation of Tolerance
In 1993 Unitarians in Transylvania held a new meeting at Torda to celebrate the anniversary of the original 1568 edict. They issued a new one which said in part: "In this solemn moment of remembrance we reaffirm that faith is the gift of God; we promote religious freedom and strive for the respect and implementation of basic human rights....”6
In spite all of the changes and turmoil that Eastern Europe has encountered through the centuries since the 1568 and the original Edict of Torda, the notion of religious tolerance has lived on and the faith of the Unitarians has survived all of the changes. Many churches calling themselves Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists point to the Unitarians of Transyvania and the Edict of Torda as an important point in their history7.
1 de Marcos, Jaume "Servetus at the European Congress of Religious Studies 2004" Retrieved from http://www.miguelservet.org/noticias/previsualizacion.php?ID=107 on 23 January 2008
2 Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council. "Edict of Torda" Retrieved from "http://www.uupcc.org/docs/edict-of-torda.doc" on 23 January 2008
3 "UU Prints and Watercolor Paintings" Retrieved from http://www.uniuniques.com/UniFineArt/Printwork/Prints.htm on 23 January 2008
4 Williams, George M. "History as Treason" Retrieved from http://w3.enternet.hu/sandor64/cffr/essays/historytreason.htm on 23 January 2008
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6 Erdo, Janos (Translated by Gellerd, Judit). "Major dates from the History of the Transylvanian Unitarian Church" Retrieved from http://www.unitarius.hu/english/dates.html on 23 January 2008
7 Szekely, Janos. "Janos Szekely’s sermon for Sunday, January 30, 2005" Retrieved from http://www.uupcc.org/plantingseeds/html/janossermon.pdf on 23 January 2008.