religions Article Popular Hymnody and Lived Catholicism in Hungary in the 1970s–1980s Kinga Povedák MTA-SZTE “Convivence” Religious Pluralism Research Group, Eötvös Lóránd Research Network (ELKH), 6722 Szeged, Hungary; [email protected] Abstract: In this article, I look at how popular hymnody and the surrounding devotional and liturgical practices changed after the Second Vatican Council in Hungary. The songs amongst authoritarian, atheistic circumstances sounded astonishingly similar to the emerging “folk mass movement”. The discourse analysis of Hungarian popular hymnody contributes to a new perspective of Eastern European Catholicism and helps us understand how “lived Catholicism” reflects the post- Vatican spirit. Post-Vatican popular hymnody, a catalyst for a new style of devotional practices, is understood as “performed theology” behind the Iron Curtain expressing relationality, as it actualizes and manifests spiritual, eschatological, and ecclesial relationships. Keywords: popular hymnody; post-conciliar liturgical music; “beat mass”; Christian popular music 1. Introduction Crowds are flowing in and out of the Matthias Church, which is undergoing renova- tion, and the aisle is crowded with young people; you only see the odd older person here and there. Hippy-looking bearded young, downtown demons are listening to a mass now. Citation: Povedák, Kinga. 2021. A foreign bus stops at the square, and the visitors are streaming into the church; cameras Popular Hymnody and Lived are clicking. Once the mass is over, the band is surrounded like celebrities by their fans. Catholicism in Hungary in the Many posed pictures are taken1. 1970s–1980s. Religions 12: 438. On Easter, 14 April 1968, a groundbreaking event took place in the Gothic Matthias https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12060438 Church, one of Budapest’s iconic buildings. The festive liturgy provided space for Imre Szilas’ “beat mass”, in which lyrics of traditional church songs were put to rock music. Academic Editor: Salvador Ryan The appearance of Hungarian Christian popular music is undeniably a paradigmatic shift in the history of Hungarian church music. Not only was the event reported by Received: 13 May 2021 contemporary press outlets and radio news, but even the Hungarian state television made Accepted: 6 June 2021 2 Published: 12 June 2021 a short documentary The unique historical circumstances added to the delicacy of the occasion. In socialist-era Hungary, as in all Soviet satellite states, the state party devoted Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral extraordinary energy to repressing Christian churches, forcing them into a dependent with regard to jurisdictional claims in position and pushing religiosity into the private sphere. The churches’ social presence and published maps and institutional affil- role were rendered insignificant and confined to the officially sanctioned work of the clergy. iations. Religious events were rarely reported in the news, the clergy were intimidated, and the Communist Party had agents, informants, collaborating priests, and bishops in the churches up to the highest levels3 Despite all this, the parish priest of one of the most prestigious Catholic churches in the country—who also reported to the secret police—allowed young people to perform traditional folk hymns musically recomposed and accompanied by an Copyright: © 2021 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. electric organ, drum, and guitars. This article is an open access article The short documentary recorded by Hungarian Television (see Figure1), entitled distributed under the terms and “Beat mass”, showed young people with long hair in denim jeans coming to the crowded conditions of the Creative Commons church because of the music, and who were sitting in the benches enjoying the mass and Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// tapping their feet to the rhythm of the music. Although this report intended to portray the creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ decline of religiosity, the effect was the opposite. Behind the Iron Curtain, the Hungarian 4.0/). Catholic Church, which was subordinated to the state and took over the “Western” religious Religions 2021, 12, 438. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12060438 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Religions 2021, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 16 Religions 2021, 12, 438 2 of 16 tapping their feet to the rhythm of the music. Although this report intended to portray the decline of religiosity, the effect was the opposite. Behind the Iron Curtain, the Hungarian Catholic Church, which was subordinated to the state and took over the “Western” reli- processesgious processes selectively selectively and belatedly, and belatedly, nonetheless nonetheless became became one of theone pioneersof the pioneers of the 1960s of the religious1960s religious renewal: renewal: the Church the allowedChurch rockallowed music rock inside music its walls inside despite its walls the knowledgedespite the andknowledge will of ecclesial and will or of political ecclesial leaders. or political leaders. FigureFigure 1. 1.The The photograph photograph is is a a still still image image from from MTVA MTVA (Hungarian (Hungarian Television Television Archives) Archives) and and depicts depicts the first beat mass from the Matthias Church. the first beat mass from the Matthias Church. TheThe “beat “beat mass” mass” movement movement appeared appeared parallel parallel with with the the so-called so-called folk folk mass mass movement movement ofof CatholicCatholic communitiescommunities inin thethe UnitedUnited States,States, evenevenbefore beforethe the on-stage on-stagedebut debut of of Jesus Jesus ChristChrist SuperstarSuperstar inin 1971.1971. PerhapsPerhaps forfor thethe firstfirst time,time, aa modern,modern, fashionablefashionable rockrock music-music- basedbased “beat “beat mass” mass” was was presented presented behind behind the the Iron Iron Curtain, Curtain, steering steering non-religious non-religious youth youth towardstowards religion, religion, and and strengthening strengthening already already the the faithful faithful youth youth in in their their religiousreligious affiliation.affiliation. TheThe media media event event around around the the “beat “beat mass” mass” of of the the Matthias Matthias Church Church created created the the basis basis for for a a grassrootsgrassroots religiousreligious renewalrenewal inin Hungary.Hungary. AlthoughAlthough thethe infiltratorinfiltrator agents, peace priests4, 4and, and collaborating collaborating bishops bishops tried tried to ban to ban the theuse useof new of new music, music, they theycould could not stop not the stop grass- the grassrootsroots transformation transformation of religious of religious music. music. ThisThis paper’s paper’s aim aim is is twofold: twofold: First, First, this this paper paper aims aims to to present present the the dynamics dynamics of of religious religious changechange in in the the realm realm of of devotional devotional and and liturgical liturgical practices practices as as experienced experienced by by the the Catholic Catholic laitylaity following following the the Second Second Vatican Vatican Council Council through through the the “beat “beat mass” mass” movement movement and and the the evolutionevolution ofof aa modern,modern, post-Vatican hymnody hymnody in in Hungary. Hungary. In In addition addition to tohistorical, historical, ar- archival,chival, and and oral oral history history sources, sources, I I also also employ a novel group ofof sourcessources inin thethe analysis,analysis, whichwhich has has not not been been used used thus thus far far to to analyze analyze religious religious culture. culture. I I capture capture transformation transformation processesprocesses through through the the music music scene’s scene’s change, change, focusing focusing on on the the community-building community-building power power ofof music music andand itsits expressiveexpressive meaning-making characteristics. Therefore, Therefore, this this paper paper aims aims to toargue argue that that the the study study of of popular popular hymnody hymnody as as a source forfor socialsocial scientificscientific researchresearch can can bringbring new, new, significant significant insights insights and and results. results. By By analyzing analyzing the the lyrics lyrics of of popular popular hymnody hymnody asas narratives, narratives, II attempt attempt toto present present the the changes changes and and attitudes attitudes that that take take place place in in the the deep deep layerslayers ofof religiosity, which which can can help help to to identify identify and and elucidate elucidate the process the process of religious of religious trans- transformationformation in communist in communist Hungary Hungary in the in period the period after after Vatican Vatican II. II. Not much has been written on everyday religious culture during communist/socialist times. Government control of scholarship helps explain this lacuna: There was no discipline of religious studies independent from political censorship in socialist countries; the regime’s ideological expectations permeated the scientific literature of that age. Therefore, no voice was given to religious transformations, personal religious experiences, religious renewal Religions 2021, 12, 438 3 of 16 movements, or minority religions. Recently, historians have tried to address this lacuna. With a few exceptions, most of their research has examined high-level religious politics, the official state–Church relationship, and the