HIS-Press-Service, 1976 (1. évfolyam, 1. szám)
1976 / 1. szám
HIS Press Service, A Review of 1976 Page 10 the Hungarian Church and present its points of view as propaganda are already in existence. One can only hope that this new venture will produce a greater amount of objective information than has to date been the case with the other sources of Hungarian Church news. The Other - Still Unresolved - Problems In what has already been said, it was possible to take a closer look only at Hungary's pastoral problems. An unreleased protocol drawn up by representatives of the Vatican and officials of the Hungarian government in 1964 contains a list of still unresolved problems, such as that of the several thousand members of religious Orders which the government dissolved 26 years ago. As is well known, in 1950 the government issued a decree which withdrew from 94% of the Orders and 98% of all members of Orders permission to carry out their Order activities. In addition, 98% of the houses belonging to the Orders were taken over by the government (Legal Decree No.34/1950). The activity of the Benedictines, the Piarists, the Franciscans, and the School Sisters named after our Blessed Mother were allowed to continue their activity only to the extent of maintaining two schools per Order. The number of persons allowed to belong to these Orders, however, was limited to 60 for each Order; two novices could be accepted yearly. 460 priests who were once members of religious Orders now work as priests for the various dioceses. 100 retired men who belonged to the Orders now live in an old age home in Pannonhalma. The old age home for women from religious Orders houses at present about 700 persons. About an equal number of priests, brothers, and nuns who once belonged to religious Orders now serve the Church as sacristans, organists, office help, and as collectors for the voluntary Church contributions. The several thousand Order members who are not allowed to carry out their religious activities now work in factories and offices or are already retired. Of the 2,500 men and 9,000 women who belonged to religious Orders in Hungary in 1950, many have died during the past quarter century, others have formally left their Orders, and still others have found a new home and field of activity in foreign houses of their Orders. Those still living in Hungary who are not allowed to carry out their religious activities - persons willing to undergo hardships both for the sake of the Church and Hungary - are still today neglected by both their homeland and their Church. A solution must be found soon for the situation of these persons.
