A kommunista hatalom szolgálatában. Sebe Ferenc lelkész és előadó-tanácsos ügynöki tevékenysége
In the Service of Communist Power. The Agent Activities of Pastor Ferenc Sebe

Summary/Abstract: This study investigates the complex and controversial dual role of Ferenc Sebe, a Unitarian minister and senior church official in communist Romania, who also served as a Securitate agent under the codenames “Alexa” and “Ambrus Géza” for nearly three decades. Drawing on archival documentation, the paper explores Sebe's recruitment, his activities within the state security apparatus, and the implications of his collaboration for the Unitarian Church and its internal dynamics. Through an analysis of Sebe’s reports, task assignments, and evaluations by his superiors, the study illustrates how the communist regime sought to infiltrate and control religious institutions, using loyal insiders like Sebe to monitor, influence, and report on clergy and congregants alike. Special attention is given to the strategies of influence and intelligence gathering both within Romania and internationally, particularly in relation to foreign religious contacts and events such as IARF congresses. The paper also considers the extent of suspicion or awareness within the church about Sebe’s role, and how trust in him was maintained—or subtly eroded—over time. Ultimately, the case of Ferenc Sebe exemplifies the morally ambiguous position of clergy caught between institutional loyalty and political coercion under totalitarian regimes.

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