HIS-Press-Service, 1979 (4. évfolyam, 13-15. szám)
1979-06-01 / 15. szám
HIS Press Service No.15, June 1979 Page 3 many, Archbishop of Esztergom. It was only seven years ago that the recommendations of Vatican II on priestly formation were put into practice and a new set of guidelines was drawn up for priestly training in Hungary. Major modifications of these guidelines are necessary, however, due to changed social conditions and the ongoing dechristianization taking place in Hungary. Theology professors have already been calling for years, for example, for the introduction of a so-called preparatory year for seminarians; such an extra year would make it possible to give the students a better foundation for their theological studies, since the religious knowledge which the candidates received in their youth is extremely incomplete in the areas of Church teaching and religious practice. Despite the obvious justification of this demand, the Hungarian Bishops Conference has to date refrained from implementing such a change.- In view of the difficulties facing a professional training of candidates for the priesthood, several members of the Bishops Conference have repeatedly insisted that in Hungary's present-day Church it is not the erudition of the priests that should be stressed, but rather that - through exemplary lives of holiness - they have close contact with the people as pious servants of the Church and work to bring Christ closer to the faithful in everyday life.- For Hungary's Church, which is being increasingly confronted with the problem of its continued existence, some questions are becoming ever more urgent: To what extent is Hungary's Church adequately carrying out its apostolic mission? Which areas should be given special emphasis? How can the Church utilize the means at its disposal most effectively? On the other hand, the impression one gains of the Church when observing the actions of the majority of the clergy and Church leaders is that they still are living in the Church of several decades past rather than in that of the present, not to mention the future. In addition, certain crises are evident among the clergy themselves: The number of priests no longer in the service of the Church is rather high. The circular letter sent to the priests by the Hungarian Bishops Conference in 1978 clearly dwells upon the dangers inherent in a disassociation of priests from the corporate body of the bishops. Despite denials from Hungary, foreign observers have repeatedly reported signs of resignation among circles of Hungary's clergy. Harmonizing the actual situation in the field of pastoral care with the self-understanding of Hungary's Church has already developed into an undertaking in its own right within the area of priestly formation and will increasingly become a prerequisite for a renewal of the inner vitality undoubtedly present in the Hungarian Church.
