HIS-Press-Service, 1980 (5. évfolyam, 16-18. szám)
1980-06-01 / 17. szám
HIS Press Service No.17, June 1980 Page 7 statistics, 6.5 million). These persons, however, are the intellectually educated representatives of the renewal-orientated Hungarian Church. They are persons who have selflessly dedicated themselves to the Church, experience it in these groups, gather contemporary knowledge in them, and demonstrate genuine Christian love. The Bishops Conference has repeatedly called upon these groups to become an integral part of the parish community. As an expression of good will in this area of cooperation, the Bishops Conference has made plans to open a retreat house dedicated to satisfying the need for spiritual development and continued religious education for these and all other religiously interested persons. CaTECHETICS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIETY The Pope recommended - also as a methodological guideline - that Hungary's Church approach catechetics on the basis of contemporary social problems. "It should serve as a genuine help for Christians, enabling them - to their own joy, and in the service of all men - to function as both the light and salt of the earth." Its aim should be "to teach both the youth and also the adults who are members of its groups a penetrating and consequent faith that enables them to stand untroubled in their Christian and Catholic identity; it should help them trust so fully in the absolute Being who is God that they will everywhere and in all situations be capable of giving witness to Him. The gift which the Church has to offer to today's misguided and troubled world is that of educating people to be Christians who will demonstrate steadfastness in those things which are essential and serene humility in their faith. They will become such persons through catechetical instruction, and it is above all the world which will reap the benefits." The Pope refers concretely here to one of the most serious problems facing Hungary's Church, namely the question of the role to be played by the Church in the socialist orientated society of the present. Hungarian Church politics views the matter from the standpoint of actual political usefulness. In its view, the role of the Church is that of strengthening the internal sense of national unity; further, the Church should make use of its international connections to increase the trust of other nations in the efforts of the Hungarian State. The politically guided utilitarianism which has been placed in the foreground in this manner has hampered the Church in the fulfillment of its duties. Viewed from this aspect, the Pope's guidelines constitute concrete help for Hungary's Church in its efforts at self-identification.
