20 January |
Hungarian Radio launches a new half-hour information
programme entitled Religious Newsreel (ed. László
Rapcsányi). |
2 February |
Imre Miklós president of the State Church
Office, holds a press conference in Vienna on Church-State relations.
He states that not every pre-war religious order will be reinstated,
and that there is no need to establish normal diplomatic relations
between Hungary and the Vatican. He also rejects the idea of Cardinal
Mindszenty's political rehabilitation. |
14 March |
Károly Grósz meets
representatives of the various Hungarian Churches. Bishop Szendi argues
for a new concordat between Church and State, which would be more
fitting for a democratic country. He also asks in his speech for the
reinstatement of all religious orders dissolved in 1950, the
legalisation of religious education and pastoral work with young
people, and he also asks for the freedom to establish religious
associations. |
3-9 April |
30th Congress of Pax Romana is held in Puchberg,
Austria, with many Hungarian lecturers participating. The main topic
is: "The future of young people - Young people of the future". |
22 April |
Government spokesman Rezső
Bányász states that there are 146 Jehovah's
Witnesses and 6 Catholics among those imprisoned for refusing to do
military service. |
21-22 June |
The Hungarian Academy holds a meeting for the
anniversary of St. Stephen, at which Ferenc Glatz, Minister of
education, argues. for the necessity of a renewal .of Church
historiography. |
24 June |
John Paul II visits Burgenland (Austria) and celebrates
Mass in Trausdorf (formerly Darázsfalva in Hungary) -
thousands of Hungarians take part. |
28 June |
László Paskai, Archbishop of
Esztergom, is made cardinal. |
9 June |
A Hungarian daily Népszabadság
publishes an interview with Imre Miklós, president of the
State Church Office, under the headline: "Is the influence of religion
in Hungary increasing?" He believes that a reform of Church policy is
unnecessary, because "for the last 30 years there have always been good
government decisions and party resolutions in this field". He also
announces that the new act on religious freedom will be completed by
1990 and that talks are under way about the introduction of an
alternative to military service Marxists' views on religion have
changed: "Religion and religious people are no longer considered
political enemies." |
13 July |
Endre Gyulay, bishop of Szeged and Csanád,
publishes an article in Magyar Hírlap entitled
"Understanding and Tolerance" in which he compares the Church to St.
Sebastian, who was sentenced to death, but survived and offered his
services to society. However, Gyulay believes that the Church also
needs guarantees. |
17 July |
Imre Miklós, president of the State Church
Office, attends the inaugural Mass of Cardinal
László Paskai, and greets him afterwards at the
reception. Some leading Church officials, he remarks, including
bishops, request things which are unacceptable, because they mar
Church-State relations. He referred to Bishop Szendi's speech delivered
in Parliament, and to Bishop Gyulay's article (see above 14 March 1988,
and 13 July 1988). |
19 August |
József Cserháti announces at a
press conference that the Church would like to improve the efficiency
of its social work. The fact that Jesuits and Cistercians were allowed
to reopen their houses for educational purposes, and that there are
less restrictions on religious education, indicate the erosion of
obstacles to the work of the Church. |
20 August |
100,000 people attend the Jubilee Mass in honour of St.
Stephen, held in front of the basilica in Budapest, and Cardinal Paskai
announces in the presence of Archbishop Colassuonno and other foreign
guests, that he and the government have invited Pope John Paul II to
Hungary. The Pope addresses Hungarian Catholics in his letter on the
occasion of the 950th anniversary of St. Stephen's death. |
to 1st September |
5000 refugees from Transylvania receive Church aid
amounting to 6 million Forints. |
14 September |
Cardinal Paskai addresses a letter to Lord Henry Plumb,
president of the European Parliament, asking for his intervention in
order to put a stop to the village destruction in Romania. |
24 September |
Cardinal Paskai announces in his pastoral letter his
intention to convene a diocesan council. |
30 September |
The Hungarian Union of Priests, which had been set up
two years previously by thirty priests, holds its autumn congress.
László Lukács announces officially
that the Hungarian movement will join the international Unio Cleri
Apostolica. |
2 October |
The training of youth group leaders starts to improve
the pastoral work with young people, under the guidance of Bishop
Gyulay, Church official responsible for youth education. |
12. October |
Thousands of Hungarians both from Hungary and abroad
participate in the national pilgrimage to Rome on the occasion of the
year of St. Stephen. This event is the first such joint celebration. |
1? October |
The Hungarian Boy Scout Movement is re-established.
After long debates, those opposing any religious tendency in the group
set up the Alliance of Hungarian Boy Scout Groups under the direction
of the Patnotic Popular Front. |
11-17 October |
Imre Miklós, president of the State
Church Office does to Rome to negotiate the appointment
of new assistant bishops, and also to discuss the national minorities
and the Pope's visit. |
20 October |
37 priests are ordained during the course of the year. |
8 November |
The 4th pastoral letter of the diocese Szeged and
Csanád publishes Prime Minister Grósz's answers
to the questions posed by Church r representatives at the March meeting
(see above 14 March 1988). In answer to Cardinal Paskai.
Grósz states: I agree that "the rules concerning
Church-State relations have to be reformed, and limitations should be
replaced by defined rules". To Gyulay's question he replies: There is
no discrimination against religious people in Hungary. According to the
new military ruling, soldier's will be allowed to take part in
religious services during their holidays without wearing uniform. No
permission will be required to publish pastoral letters." In answer to
Bishop Szendi: "The reinstatement of the religious orders dissolved in
1950 will not be on the agenda". "It is an internationally well known
fact that Churches in Hungary can work freely outside the churches
too." Grósz among other things mentions the following: the
permission of the bishop is sufficient for religious education to take
place in churches. The Catholic Church is allowed to establish a house
for educational purposes where Cistercians can help in the training of
diocesan priests. |
15 November |
Magyar Hírlap publishes an interview with
Ferenc Magyar, editor of Új Ember. "Since the concordat of
1950, Hungarian Catholicism has tried to survive by taking only little
steps. Many think we collaborated and therefore criticise the leaders
of the Church. Though to a certain extent this criticism is justified,
most of the concessions in time proved to be necessary." |
25 November |
K. Harshew, president of the department of religious
affairs in the Soviet Union, declares in London "the Soviet Union is
not an atheist state." "When in the past we fought against religion and
closed down churches, this was a distortion of Marxism like the
personality cult of Stalin." |
3 December |
Áron Márton Society, a new
Catholic association, is established. |
December |
The Hungarian Maltese Charity Service is established
under the leadership of Csilla Boeselager. The organisation gave
hospitals 6.5 million Forints worth of medical equipment. |
22 December |
A new charity organisation, "Szamaritánus"
(Samaritan), is set up to help drug addicts and alcoholics. Although
the organisation belongs to the Church it is supervised by the Ministry
of Health. |
23 December |
Cardinal Paskai celebrates Mass in the hospital of
Esztergom. For the first time in 40 years Christmas Masses are
celebrated in many hospitals throughout the country. More and more
hospitals allow Mass to be said. |
30 December-4 January |
The ecumenical community of Taizé organises
a European youth meeting in Rome and 1500 Hungarians participate. |
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