Magyar Egyház, 1960 (39. évfolyam, 1-9. szám)
1960-02-01 / 2. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 9 weeks on the 1959 calendar. But wherever disaster struck, the churches were there to help and life was made more bearable for thousands of refugees in European, Middle East and Asian camps. While new cries for help came from the more than 120,000 who fled to neighboring Tunisia from Algeria, 10,190 of the world’s refugees were settled in new countries during the year. World church conferences in 1959 continued the search for unity through deeper East-West understanding. Issues of faith and order, the status of women in the church and world population problems brought National and World Council leaders together with leaders of the new nations. The first exchange visits in Geneva and Moscow of Russian Orthodox and World Council churchmen were two other notable events. In Africa, merger plans between the World Council and the International Missionary Council progressed in Ghana; in Nigeria, 1959 saw the appointment of Donald M’timkulu as the first secretary of the All-Africa Church Conference; and the first conference on the Christian faith in the Middle East ever held in Ethiopia took place in Asmara. In April, churchmen met in Oxford, England to discuss the “population explosion,” while San German, Puerto Rico was the site for a study of the ministry to the people of that island. In July, church leaders gathered for a memorable week in Salonika, Greece to study rapid social change. Many of these WCC delegates then met again at Spittal, Austria before taking off for the WCC Central Committee meeting on Rhodes. There, the world churches’ policy-making body voiced a plea for more aid for refugees and called for world disarmament and an end to nuclear tests. Almost as important were the informal talks between world churchmen and their Greek Orthodox hosts on that ancient Crusader’s island. In 1959, the first directory of world medical missions was published, more than 100,000 German Protestants crowded into Munich for the mammoth Kirchentag, and Japan International Christian University was 10 years old. And for both Japan and Brazil, the year had particular importance as they each celebrated one hundred years of Protestantism.---------------o--------------POPE MAY SEE SOVIET LEADERS (.Vatican City) — An apparent “new attitude of the Soviet government toward Roman Catholicism” may result in a visit by Soviet President Klimenti Voroshilov to Pope John XXIII, according to a story published by Religious News Service. Quoting “Vatican sources”, the RNS story said that in the event that Mr. Voroshilov, who is expected to be in Rome in March, is accompanied by Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev, they said, “the Pope would hardly grant an audience to one and deny one to the other”. The comment by Vatican sources was prompted by what they called “a wonderfully encouraging sign” seen in a Moscow Radio announcement that Christmas Day services were held in Catholic churches in Russia, with Masses well attended. They said it was the first time reference was made in a Soviet broadcast to the number attending church and that “the station’s reference to the importance of Christmas to the Western world would seem to indicate that the Soviet government, in its efforts toward understanding with the West, finally has understood the strength of the Church”. EPS, Geneva. ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING In thousands of Protestant churches across the nation millions of Americans will make special contributions for the 1960 One Great Hour of Sharing Appeal on Sunday, March 27th, or another Sunday during spring. Such funds will support individual denominational and interdenominational programs of emergency assistance and long-term help to men, women and children overseas who are hungry, ill and improverished, victims of fires, earthquakes and other disasters and those uprooted by war or aggression. More than $11,418,000 will be needed in 1960 to support denominational projects and joint programs through Church World Service — making possible a wide range of projects in more than 40 countries. A portion of the funds will care for part of the cost of processing, shipping and distributing the millions of pounds of clothing donated by our people through their community and church organizations and clothing service centers. Almost $875,000 will be needed to continue the Share Our Surplus program through which foods from U.S. Government surplus stocks are distributed free to hungry people in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America. Rehabilitation and resettlement of refugees, both in the United States and other countries where they may find opportunities for new lives — a major responsibility of our churches — also is aided through the United Appeal. A vital part of the churches’ ministry abroad includes assistance in programs to teach new skills and introduce new vocations — thus helping those in need to help themselves as well as aid to orphanages, hospitals, tuberculosis treatment and control centers and other health projects. Our denomination, the Hungarian Reformed Church in America, plans to participate in this appeal for the first time since it has become a member church of the National Council of Churches. Your pastors will receive detailed information concerning our One Great Hour of Sharing observance. Be one of those who cares, and therefore — shares!---------------O--------------Contacts With Roman Catholic Experts The Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches, concluding its first meeting in Latin America Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 8-12, endorsed an earlier statement by Dr. Visser ’t Hooft, >and the chairman of the Central Committee, Dr. Franklin Clark Fry of New York, in which anti-semitism was denounced. Dr. Visser ’t Hooft, speaking of recent contacts between Roman Catholic experts on Christian unity and those in the ecumenical movement, told newsmen that he was convinced that such informal relations are good. “We need a great deal of frank speech on questions with Roman Catholics taut it is better in small groups than by making some great public debate,” he said. A report on refugee resettlement revealed that 11,729 refugees were resettled in 1959, an increase of 1500 over the previous year. In other actions, the Committee approved arrangements for the next meeting of its 90-member Central Committee at St. Andrew’s, Scotland, August 16-24.
