We are opened up to the faith

- When did you sing for the last time?

Music is an important part of my life, I sing almost every day, humming a melody to myself. Now, during Easter I „perform” the sacred songs of Lent from one of my song books, the Nice Hungarian Song, to my wife, to my family, and we are singing from it rather often together. All of us we do keep fasting –my wife even amends it with additional strict vows- preparing ourselves on body and soul, for the principal religious celebration of our Church.

Nourishment for the soul

- How come that a chemist, basically of scientific interest, has developed a bond to the Hungarian folk music?

At the time of the regime change I did hope more profound reforms both on political and moral fields, than what was finally realised that of. Perhaps it’s another reason that in the first part of the 90’s I started to feel a sort of spiritual emptiness. Once, walking through Zugló I dropped into a Catholic church where the organist happened to practicing. I sat down and listened to him. It had definitely touched my soul, helped to reach an internal silence. The first idea of my song book, the „Nice Hungarian Song” derives from this experience. My faith in God has been strengthened step by step. I’m Greek Catholic. In the song books of our Church only the lyrics are to be found, there is no music sheet. A sudden demand appeared in me to collect our beautiful songs and their sheets then to publish them in a song book. I started the collection and the edition by myself, though very soon it became clear, that I can’t do it alone, I’m just not enough to do such a huge and quality work. With the help of Professor László Dobszay I could manage to bring together a serious and qualified expert team, with whom I have been working ever since. I’m grateful to their huge work, which has finally been resulted in a precise, valuable and quality work. As I mentioned, the song book idea had started with the inspiration of the liturgical melodies, further on this fantastic journey has continued with our folk songs.

- Not so long ago the shared storytelling and the sing-along were part of the working carried out together. The young were considered as members of the adult community as soon as they have got to understand the symbols of these fables and songs. What did the music add to your life?

Our family –as I always say- is a singing family, namely we like to sing regularly. Family celebrations, birthdays, name days, meeting with friends, Christmas, Easter and –as I’ve mentioned before- not even the Lent are passing without family singings. Songs turn these events far more shining and beautiful. Thanks to my son, Merse, our bonds to the folk music has deepened a lot. Quite a few years ago, as a child he has started his folk dance studies, thus we also dropped into the life of the Csillagszemű folkdance group. We have got a glimpse about a world that has enchanted us. I do have to mention our experiences in Transylvania as well. Through the Csiksomlyó pilgrimages we have become regular Transylvania visitors, we have got to know many people, have experienced deep impressions, while the very rich local culture, the living traditions have touched us and the wonderful folk music treasure has just charmed us. All these impressions, experiences and events helped me to deepen the bonds to our musical tradition on such a way that finally I decided to edit a song book. I do believe in the power of singing together, it attaches great values to the community by building and bringing the collective together. Moreover, I take the beautiful Hungarian songs –either secular of religious- as an outstanding value, being the spiritual fruit of the Hungarians, upon the melodies of which we are able, even more we need to nourish our spirit.

Time of the questions

- You have mentioned, that these days Lent songs are played and sung in your home. The message of these songs are particularly actual and ecumenical nowadays. “We, fallible humans, living on this earth go through many hardships and pain, while are struggling with many troubles of the world.” Do you see any chance that the pandemic that is storming right during the time of the Christianity’s principal religious celebration would drive us to reconsider the values and the way forward guidelines?

I do hope so, still I’m sceptical a bit. I expect a sort of spiritual purification, since hard days and situations drive people to learn how to lift their eyes up as well, and many of them are intuitive enough to spot the genuine and eternal values, the ones which have just been neglected in the rushing and greedy world. And yes, a sort of spiritual purification might grow. However, as for rapid changes I’m still sceptical. Many times we characterize the western countries as societies struggling with the crisis of value. But this also applies to our society. The only thing I can do is to keep my fingers crossed, that the solidarity experienced during these difficult days would find many followers. We do not see the future, though minded people might turn their attention to the reasons of the present vulnerable situation. At the moment we have to focus on the health of our family, on the work, on the economic issues, while we are struggling and doing our best to get through this period with a minimum possible loss. But, whether the world is able and ready to deeply reconsider the reasons of the vulnerable situation is another question, since we “inevitably” bump again and again to the processes of globalism. Questions, like how it could have happened that money and security are facing each other should be asked. Why does money determine almost everything? How come that people are taking risks for pure material reasons against which they give up their security?

- Why?

Today money is above all: it rules the economy, our thinking, our philosophy on value, our relationship with each other. Though we should see the real values of life, the ones being more important than money itself. A family, a nation, a country, all are in need of strategic issues like: security, survival, existence and mutual respect, all these are way more important than the material issues would ever be. Now, that a pandemic has broken out of the blue, we can experience on our own skin that from now on we should look at our world from a different perspective. Nowadays one thinks of being a semi-god, sometimes one is sure of being God himself. Maybe, by accepting the tiny existence, and by climbing down off the high horse, one might have an intention to change. It’s worth reconsidering our urge on the steady increase, our relation to the globalisation, and all the consequences that come as a result that of should be managed. Obviously this is not an easy job.

Christianity hidden in acts

- As to András Csókay, neurosurgeon, in time of pandemic the preventive measures are thorough hand washing, prayers, Vitamin-C and Béres Drops. Apart from the prayer, the listed items are connected to three Hungarian scientists, researchers. Their path of life had been packed with extreme challenges, like: ostracism from the medical community, persecution by Antichrist doctrines followers’ dictatorships. What could their steadfastness and sense of mission have been fed on?

I dare to say about my father, but the very same is also true for Ignác Semmelweis and Albert Szentgyörgyi since we are talking about extremely committed scientists, that the source of their self-confidence was their sound and solid knowledge. To reach all these they passed long years with humble, patient and consequent work. We can truly say that possessing the knowledge they all had could not leave room for malignancy or viciousness, knocking any of them right off their missionary path. Another bond between them is that they all considered other individuals as of high importance. Not by words, but by their actions. They practiced the Christian virtues through their solidarity and helping attitude towards people, towards the sick ones.

- During the pandemic circumstances many turn to faith or science, waiting the solution from these sources. As a chemist, a former researcher how do you see the relation between faith and science?

Many see it as a contradictory issue. As to my understanding, faith and science are two consecutive issues that complement each other. I think that man can get to know wonderful depths on the world, but would never ever reach the point of the unlimited knowledge, at best one might imagine alike. Me, as a young chemist researcher had fallen into the trap of such mistakes as well, while working on my PhD and on my candidate degree. That time I thought that all what we know were enough to explain everything, moreover could solve everything. Many still think alike. With open heart and mind we are on the right path to become wiser. I have realised that to having an entire life, in addition to the science, I badly need the faith of God. I remember my father, how he –though being in possession of an enormous volume of natural science knowledge- always marvelled at the mysterious processes of life. Whenever he was wandering along the shore of the Tisza, he was totally fascinated by the new life deriving from a thrown away osier in the water. These are the moments when one suddenly understands God’s creating power.

Responsibility and obligation

- “Whatever way a honourable man is accused, he can face his accusers with clear conscience” – said senior József Béres in the film about his life, after being brought to justice on trumped-up charges by the socialist dictatorship. Still, the then regime did not dare to condemn him. As a child have you noticed anything of the surveillance and of the threats?

My father had hugged us lovingly, I became to understand the depths of his own internal struggles as an adult only. Goes without saying that it was my mother worrying the most for him, we children were scared for him. I remember when we all tried to convince him to give up the Béres Drop issue. We witnessed how the flowing of patients had exhausted him, what a spiritual agony had hit him experiencing that he was unable to supply everybody with the drops. After a certain while we also noticed the tension between him and the medical society, topped with the conflict with the top level political elite. My father’s activity and attitude just did not fit in the socialist-communist regime. So it was, when he applied for the drops patent licences under his own name exclusively. That time it was an unbelievable courageous step, since as to the collective thinking of the socialist society, the application should have included everyone’s name from unit directors up to the general managers. Still, the real conflict was due to the simple fact that the agricultural researcher –an expert of high reputation in his own scientific discipline- had been driven away by his researcher logic and enthusiasm from the diversity of flora up to the human organism, which finally had ended up at the cause of cancer. He was criticised of not being a doctor, moreover: how can one achieve a notable result in the village of Kisvárda, far away in the dark county of Szabolcs? Luckily there were many supporters around, like his family, friends and many humanist thinkers. His case had caught the attention of the then intellectuals as well, thus many lined up next to him. Several artists, writers, poets felt responsible for the country and its people’s life and on their own way they did their best to let the truth be revealed on the drops.

- Last time ten thousands of Béres drops have been offered to healthcare staff, hospitals and elderly nursing homes. Irrespective of the pandemic, you regularly organise charity events, concerts and grant donations.

We are following my father’s foot-steps. It’s already 27 years that the Béres Foundation has been operating. It coordinates the social activities deriving from our power. Through our donations and supports we are not supplying direct assistance only, but would like to spread our message, that is to call the attention to the social responsibility and solidarity. Every one of us is able to do something on his own way and upon his personal possibility for our fellow humans. Solidarity and love towards others have never been defined by the endpoints of poverty and wealth.

- Given above life path as well as your father’s testimony on the truth, what kind of responsibility is entailed to the family?

We have a fantastic example, an idol in front of us. This is the road we take as a way forward. My father’s life is a value indicator both humanly and professionally, thus we do our very best to base our own lives on one hand on the science, on the diligently acquired knowledge, while on the other hand on practising the Christian morality. This is our duty and obligation. Our responsibility is highly related to present times’ fast-paced, changing and challenging world. We do have strong intention to hand over the values, that reflects in practicing the Christian values and morals, the loyalty and patriotism, the respect of the Hungarian culture to the next generation. This duty is of high importance both in the narrower and in the larger family, namely in our companies as well.

- What kind of challenges the pharmaceutical researcher and producing company have to face? Here I think of following the created world’s changes, including its influence on the humankind.

The world is on a constant change, and man is able to get to know more and more of it. Within two years’ time the Béres Drop will have its 50 years anniversary. In 1972 the scientific world hardly knew anything about the so-called trace elements. My father had recognised the physiological relevance of these elements, and after a long work he composed his legendary product. Throughout the years we have developed our knowledge on the trace-elements and new elements have been listed amongst those being essential for the human organism’s functioning. In 2012, the already 40 years old Béres Drop has been extended by selenium and chromium. Alongside the scientific progress, huge changes are going on around our created environment. Just think of the population boom, of the environmental pollution, of the continuous soil evisceration due to plant cultivation or of the limits of the diverse vital nutrients. The only source of the Béres Drops’ trace-elements is the soil. The increasing shortage of the soil should be supplemented somehow. Given above facts, we might definitely declare that the invention and application of the product is more relevant than ever.

We have got a warning rather than a punishment

- The year of 1938 was full of conflicts, hates, the world armed himself, plenipotentiary leaders were deciding on life and death, the antichrist idea was spreading across. All these had put a threatening shadow onto the Eucharistic Congress of Budapest, which, despite all the menaces of above, had left deep impression in many people’s life. Nowadays an invisible virus is frightening us. Will this situation raise awareness on the biblical words “All my springs are in you” of the present world meeting?

It certainly must be so. Believers do think already that mankind hasn’t got his pandemic by accident, and they hope that it has arrived not as a punishment but a warning instead. I have the feeling that due to the risk, the uncertainty and to the locked up days people have started to become more sensitive and opened to the faith. The Church has the duty to embrace the situation on a credible way, and to extend the evangelisation by raising the Christian values, and by offering the exceptional wealth of a Christ following life.

- As a member of the International Eucharistic Congress’ Social Committee, what is the message of this saying for you?

The togetherness. “All my springs are in you” – we are going on the right path if we follow Christ. Our Christian faith in spirit, while the Eucharist materially ties us together with Jesus Christ and the Christian Church. The world event that is going to be held in Budapest is an exceptional opportunity for both the Hungarian Christians and for the country as well. I feel the extreme importance of the evangelisation, such as the chance to show the world the best of our faith life as well as our cultural heritage and values. I dare to say that present hard period might have a positive impact on the Congress. After the pandemic ending the Congress might develop into a huge international thanksgiving event. Let’s pray that this will be so.

IEC Secretariat

Photo: Béres archives