HIS-Press-Service, 1977 (2. évfolyam, 5-8. szám)
1977-06-01 / 7. szám
HIS Press Service, June 1977 Page 7 State and the Church in Hungary" (Világosság, 1976/10): "In the area of social struggle, it is not necessary that one begin with peoples' personal opinions - their 1 ife philosophies, their religion, etc.. Instead, one should begin with their objective interests and needs which point to tasks common to classes and levels (of society)/different from another and yet united (by common bonds) ... We can have different opinions about the creation or eternal existence of the material world, or about the deathlessness of the soul, or even about the source of moral values. These differences of opinion do not rule out the accord which can exist between believers and non-believers in this world on questions for which they feel a solution is necessary if their own well-being and the further development of society are to be promoted. There may be those who reply that the differing ideological starting positions don't simply lead to a discussion on the philosophical level, but also on the political and moral levels. This is of course true, but these discussions are no longer carried on in an atmosphere of hostility. They are instead discussions between persons who are walking the same path; though their ideologies may be different, nevertheless their common responsibility causes them both to continue their exchange of ideas and to find mutual enrichment in doing so." In his article, "Open Gates," the Bishop of Pécs, József Cserháti, responded to the ideas of György Aczêl mentioned above and expressed basic agreement with these views. He also set down the viewpoints of the Church, which can be summarized as follows (Vigilia, 1977/3): Efforts expended for man's well-being cannot be one-sided or derived from an exclusive set of principles. Rather, they must stem from an approach that above all promotes and upholds the human and social values of purified man. It is for this reason that both Church and State deplore government administrative courses of action occuring now and then which do harm to the personal dignity of the individual, his sense of self-worth, and the regulation of basic democratic truths. The approach which considers the believer a second-class citizen and denies him an occupation in line with his talents, abilities, and industriousness must be reduced, or rather, fully done away with. In the area of religious instruction, the state agencies responsible for guaranteeing a smooth functioning of religious instruction have to date not been carrying out their responsibilities in a satisfactory matter. The differences in this area arise from the dichotomy existing between the declared program of the legislative bodies and the praxis of the executive branch.
