Folia Theologica et Canonica, Supplementum (2016)
Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem, Canon Law Institute in Budapest (1996-2016)
8 SZABOLCS ANZELM SZUROMI Political Sciences, and its current leader - Prof. Jusztin Baranyay, O.Cist. - had become arrested (he was sentenced for gaol, and he could be released only on February 26lh 1956, but by the reason of his demolished health, he died on June 21s1 1956). The door of the Ecclesiastical Law Department was forced to be locked, which was done by the only assistant of Prof. Baranyay, i.e. Sándor Erdő. Forty-six years after this grievous day, in 1996, Card. Pio Laghi. Prefect of the Congregation for Education, personally presented and read the official decree of the Holy See which has established by the initiative of Peter Erdő (now: Primate of Hungary, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, President of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe) a new Canon Law Institute “ad instar facultatis” at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University (975/96: Nov. SO* 1996). Péter Erdő, the first President of this new institute concluded his speech with these words: “I have never could imagine this moment, when I can open that door which has been locked under compulsion by my dad.” Twenty years have spent from this moving, important, historical date, and the Canon Law Institute “ad instar facultatis” at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University (Budapest) has justified that hope which has arisen on that very day in 1996. Péter Erdő has well prepared the new "intellectual milieu” for the new institutional forni of canon law formation in Hungary, which got key position in the Central-European region since the last decade of the 2001 century. The permanent team of professors of the canon law institute was selected by Prof. Erdő, who in that time headed the Canon Law Department at the Faculty of Theology (Budapest). The possible future professors - based on their scientific interest and research field - had been sent to further studies into the best faculties of their fields, to be trained well for teacher, researcher, professor, and — later on - good leader of an institute of sacred science. The memory of Policarp Ferenc Zakar, O.Cist. is necessary here. He was bom in Okér (June 8lh 1930) and by the instruction of his superiors left Hungary on September 6lh 1950 - a ó day before the communist regime suppressed the religious orders in Hungary - to continue his studies in the Eternal City. After his vicissitudes travel to Rome, he had completed his theological, ecclesiastical history and canon law studies at the Pontificia Ateneo San Anselmo, at the Pontificia Università Gregoriana and at the Pontificia Università Lateranense. He had become “professor ordinarius” at the Pontificia Ateneo San Anseimo in 1966. There is no word here to describe his scientific works and - in the same time - his activity as high ecclesiastical officer. Both of his daily routines had done for the Catholic Church in Rome, for the good of Dicasteries and also for the benefit of his religious order. When his Abbot General status was expired as the supreme leader of the Cistercian Order in 1995, he returned to Hungary as elected Abbot - then Archabbot - of Zirc, and the same time he had become the strongest pillar of the newly erected canon law institute in Budapest. His
