HIS-Press-Service, 1985 (8. évfolyam, 26-28. szám)
1985-02-01 / 28. szám
HIS Press Service No.28, February 1985 Page 10 institute did not correspond to scholarly research work, but rather to the functions of Public Relations activity. The institute would only have served any real purpose if an objective disclosure of the facts and data as the basis for decisions and preparatory measures would have been possible; instead of this, the authorities expected the institute to corroborate or justify decisions already taken. At present the Church in Hungary is not only unprepared for the solution of her own problems but she is also helpless in the face of those tasks for whose solution the State would like to enlist her assistance: In the September 1984 issue of the periodical, "Vigilia", Bishop Cserháti wrote that, within the framework of the "Patriotic People's Front", concrete agreements have been made, according to which the Church should take an active part in caring for the family, the young people and the elderly. In areas of such concrete tasks, which demand sound ; specialist knowledge, goodwill alone is not enough if effective help is to be offered. There are hardly any experts within the Church itself. A state research team, as reported in their brochure, "Integration of Difficulties in Society", conducted examinations on problems such as suicide, criminality, alcoholism, feebleness, dangers facing the young, and came to the conclusion that these "defects within society" are spreading at an alarming rate. To solve these problems the State would gladly enlist the help of the Church and the latter would indeed be ready, with the aid of her system of values and motivated by her mission, to counteract such difficulties. But the acquisition of the necessary specialist knowledge, the concrete preparation of successful work in this field of activity, could only be achieved through a course of intensive study and this cannot be demanded of the already over-burdened parish pastors. If the Church has the intention of efficiently serving the welfare of the general public in this particular field, i.e. approaching the problems not with well-meaning encouragement, but rather with competent knowledge, she must see to it that people are trained not just for evangelization but also that they acquire the necessary sound and specialised knowledge.* Obstacles to Missionary Work In contrast to the above-mentioned persecution of the Church in the Fifties, which was aimed at totally stamping out religion, the present state leaders can rightly maintain that they have created a society in which every individual may practise his faith if he wishes and can also safeguard himself against provable violation of this rights. Thus, just as there may be believers, so there may be non-believers too. In other words: the population, according to this official interpretation, is divided into two ideological camps: the believers and the non-believers. On the basis of social analyses it has been long known that there is also the category of
