Magyar Egyház, 1968 (47. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1968-04-01 / 4. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 13 REFORMED-ROMAN CATHOLIC ACCORD ON BAPTISM SIGNED IN HOLLAND An agreement between the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Roman Catholic Church for mutual recognition of baptism administered in the two churches was signed during the winter session of the Reformed General Synod held in late January. Roman Catholic Archbishop Bernard Cardinal Alfrink and four Roman Catholic bishops were present as guests of the synod. Cardinal Alfrink signed the agreement on behalf of the Dutch hierarchy. A similar agreement on baptism was reached last July between the Netherlands Reformed Church (Hervormd) and the Dutch Roman Catholic bishops. Discussions leading to the two agreements grew out of controversy surrounding the “conditional baptism” of Princess Irene when she became a Roman Catholic. Cardinal Alfrink told the Reformed synod that the churches can seek paths that will lead finally to unity in the one Church of Christ only by honestly recognizing each other’s efforts to live as true disciples of Christ. Synod Moderator P. Visser expressed the hope that the agreement on baptism would open the way to settlement of other questions between the two churches, especially mixed marriage. Cardinal Alfrink observed that, unlike baptism, mixed marriage practices cannot be changed by decision of the Dutch bishops. At the same time, he said he does not consider it impossible that special concessions might he made from Rome for particular national situations. The desire for a similar agreement to ensure mutual recognition of baptism by Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches was voiced hv Dr. Joachim Beckmann, president of the Evangelical Church of the Rheinland, and Roman Catholic Bishop Frank Hengsbach of Essen (West Germany). (RPPS) ☆ ALBANIA ANNULS ALL LAWS ON CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS Albania has officially abrogated all laws dealing with church-state relations in that country. The action is apparently aimed at delivering the coup tie grace to formal religious bodies no longer bania. Since churches and religious bodies no longer exist, laws covering them are deemed unnecessary. Tirana Radio claimed last October that Albania had become “the first atheist state in the world”. The broadcast dealt with confiscation of church property by the state, ostensibly in the interest of the country’s youth movement and its ideological purity. {EPS, Geneva) HUNGARIAN STUDIES AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY Outside Hungary, Indiana University has one of the best academic programs on Hungarian subjects in the world. Hungarian language has been taught at Indiana since September, 1956. With the 1962-63 academic year, when the program was reorganized, courses on literature and history were added to the curriculum. A student entering Indiana now may select from the following courses on Hungarian subjects: Hungarian Language (six semesters), Introduction to Hungarian Literature, Readings in Hungarian Literature, History of the Hungarian Language, Hungarian History and Civilization to 1526, Hungarian History and Civilization Since 1526, Hungary in the Twentieth Century, Readings in Hungarian History, and Seminar in Hungarian Studies. A Certificate in Hungarian Studies is offered within the Department of Uralic and Altaic Studies. The total course requirement for the Certificate is 31-34 credit hours. A candidate who already has some knowledge of Hungarian may take a special language examination and waive the language requirement altogether. A person of Hungarian ancestry thus has a definite advantage in entering the program. At present sixty-seven students are taking courses on Hungarian subjects. Of these fifteen are of Hungarian background. The Department of Uralic and Altaic Studies is a graduate department of Indiana University. It offers the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, and the Certificate in Hungarian Studies. A competent and highly qualified full time faculty of five is teaching the Hungarian courses. Students working toward the first college degree (B.A.) at Indiana, may select courses on Hungarian subjects to fulfill the basic liberal arts requirements. Simultaneously the same credits may count toward the fulfillment of the Certificate in Hungarian Studies. Undergraduate students may apply Hungarian toward the partial fulfillment of the general language requirements. In other words, a student during his four years of college career has the opportunity to earn both the B.A. and the Certificate in Hungarian Studies at Indiana University. This program is truly unique in its kind. Anyone, who is interested in knowing more about the courses and the Hungarian program should write to: Department of Uralic and Altaic Studies, Indiana University, 101 Goodbody Hall, Bloomington, Indiana 47401. László Kovács
