Magyar Egyház, 1970 (49. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1970-03-01 / 3. szám
14 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ THE SECOND HELVETIC CONFESSION In Questions and Answers SECTION XXV. Religious instruction of the youth, visitation and comforting of the sick. 1. What does God demand of his people concerning the youth? God demands that the youth be instructed in the knowledge of the religion, with the utmost care and in their early age. 2. Especially what should the ministers teach the youth? They should teach them the basic truths of the religion, explaining to them the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord's Prayer and the meaning of the sacraments. 3. Who need the pastoral care of the ministers the most? Those who because of sickness or other afflictions are weakened both in their bodies and their souls. 4. What are the duties of the ministers toicard these? The ministers should visit them promptly and strengthen them in their faith. Also, they should offer prayers for them both in their homes and in the congregation. The sick and afflicted, however, should notify and call the ministers as soon as possible. 5. Why do we not use the extreme unction (the last rite) at the visitation of the gravely sick? Because the extreme unction is an absurd ceremony and it is not required by the Scriptures. Stephen Kovács Vatican Statement On Intercommunion According to a Reuter dispatch from Rome, the Vatican on January 2 reaffirmed its ban on joint participation in the sacrament of the Eucharist by Roman Catholics and Protestants. A document issued by the Secretariat for Christian Unity said that discussions with Western non- Catholic churches had not yet produced results which could be adopted by both sides. It added: "Before considering another way of acting in the matter of a common Eucharist, it will be necessary to establish clearly that any change to be made will remain totally in conformity with the Church’s profession of faith and that it will be a service to the spiritual life of her members.” (EPS.) WHERE HAVE ALL THE YOUNG ONES GONE? At a youth conference held recently at the Free Church (Congregational, Presbyterian) in Welwyn Garden City, England, the 140 participants advanced a number of reasons for young people’s rejection of the organized church: There is too much tradition in buildings and in Church services. The Church spends too much energy in maintaining itself. There is not enough participation in services by laymen and the younger generation. Sermons should sometimes be replaced by discussions. The Church is too inflexible and sees too many things as either black or white. The Church does not show' enough loving care to its members. The Church has insufficient impact on the community. The younger members like to be taking part but should not he overloaded. The Church must be seen to be concerned about all aspects of life and not just looked upon as a prop. The young do not want to belong to what appears to them to be a dead and gone society. (RPPS) Slight Slump in Church Attendance — The number of U. S. adults who attended church in a typical week during 1969 was 7% less than in 1958, a Gallup Poll says. While the fall-off was twice as great among Roman Catholics as among Protestants, the greatest decrease was among young adults of all traditions. In 1969 the percentage of those 21-29 who went to church was 15 points lower than in 1958. Still some 42% of the U. S. adults reported church attendance in 1969, down a point from 1968. (EPS) Germany: Mixed Marriage Memorandum — An ecumenical memorandum on “'Christian Unity in Marriage” presented to the heads of the Roman Catholic and Protestant church councils in Germany urges the churches to recognize civil marriage ceremonies as valid even when no religious ceremony is held, and to allow parents to decide on the religious upbringing of their children. Adequate pastoral care for both partners to a mixed marriage is also called for in the memorandum prepared by the Roman Catholic Centre for Marriage and Family Questions in Berlin and its Protestant counterpart in Cologne. Recipients of the document were Cardinal Julius Dörpfner, chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, and Bishop Hermann Dietzfelbinger as chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany. (EPS)
