Portraits of a 20th-century prelate, József Grősz

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the person of József Grősz, Archbishop of Kalocsa-Bács (1943–1961), not on the basis of written sources but using other sources available to us (paintings, photographs, film and sound recordings, and statues). We will also examine the extent to which Archbishop Grősz is part of the canon of remembrance, and how the nature of this can be described. Our aim is to create a portrait of Archbishop Grősz from as broad and varied a perspective as possible, which can be as close as possible to an understanding of the real person, the real prelate and the real man, complemented by an understanding of the commemorative purpose of canonization. To this end, we have drawn on the sources listed above, which historians, in their academic research and work, would perhaps not examine, or only partially, or not at all. However, in order to place these sources in their proper context, the career, calling and work of József Grősz is also briefly outlined. In the next part of our paper, we will analyze the types of sources mentioned above, and the conclusions we can draw from them.