Today is the 63rd anniversary of the Hungarian anti-communist revolution. The events are widely known, but surprisingly few are aware of the fact that the actual pope, Pius XII issued an encyclical calling for prayer for the suffering Hungarian people on October 28, 1956.

In the encyclical, he appealed for public prayer, for an end of the carnage, and for peace and for freedom.

He indicated that violence will not create a lasting order and freedom can never be extinguished by external force. The Pope recalls his visit to Budapest, where he took part in an international Eucharistic Congress as personal representative of Pope Pius XI.

He wrote he was sure that the same faith in and love for God still inspired the hearts of the Hungarian people even though the champions of atheistic communism attempt with every possible means to despoil their minds of the religion of their forefathers. He asked all true Christians throughout the world to join in prayer with their oppressed Hungarian brothers.

He especially asked children worldwide for a prayer crusade.

Here is the unedited text of this short, but strongly worded encyclical.

Photo crerdit: Twitter