HIS-Press-Service, 1978 (3. évfolyam, 9-12. szám)
1978-11-01 / 12. szám
HIS Press Service No.12. November 1978 Page 3 oped in cooperation with State agencies. The decision of the College of Bishops to offer a theology extension course for lay men and women at the Theological Academy in Budapest was officially announced in September 1977. The bishops also made public at this time their decision to begin a further project - the opening of a retreat house which, similar to the extension course, would offer the laity a concrete opportunity for spiritual growth. At the moment, none of the other theological colleges in Hungary are offering such extension courses; in fact, the extension course which had been offered in Szeged - the State tolerated the course, but never officially admitted to its existence - had to be discontinued. The announcement of the Budapest extension course contained no indications that there were any kind of restrictions on participation or that limitations had been imposed upon it from other quarters. Approximately 600 persons registered for the course. In an interview for Radio Vatican in the first part of October 1977 - the interview was later published in the Hungarian Church information sheet (Magyar Kurir) - Cardinal Lékai referred to the large number of registrations and said that the qualifying examination for the course would take place in the beginning of November 1977. At this stage of events,Hungary1s State agencies intervened by stating that the theological extension course could not simply be considered an internal affair taking place within the framework of Church evangelization. Instead, this course fell under the stipulations contained in Regulation No.3/1968 of the Ministry of Education which controls registration and acceptance at colleges and universities. It requires that employees must first receive a letter of recommendation from their employers before being allowed to register for college day, evening, or extension courses. (Legal Regulation No. 15/1967 of the Ministry of Labor grants persons taking part in continued education courses significant benefits at their place of work, provided the employer's consent has been obtained.) Further, these persons must obtain a health certificate, which can be issued only by a special Ministry of Health institution. In addition, the participants in a course must obtain an official certification of good conduct. Persons can obtain this document from their local police offices. In other words, the State agencies demand that every employee whatsoever who is interested in taking the theological extension course must first of all inform the head of the personnel department at his place of work of his intentions, and then also the police. Upon learning of these new conditions on participation in the course, about half of the persons already interested withdrew their registrations, since they considered these additional stipulations unacceptable in light of the effect they would have upon their future careers. Many of the persons who had previously registered were, of course, disappointed at the outcome of the
