HIS-Press-Service, 1980 (5. évfolyam, 16-18. szám)
1980-11-01 / 18. szám
HIS Press Service No.18, November 1980 Page 10 "There are Still Problems,,.." As already mentioned, Secretary of State Imre Miklós was present at the consecration ceremonies for the Hungarian Chapel. In his function as president of the State Office for Church Affairs in Hungary, he held a press conference in Rome on 9 October 1980. In answering a question by reporters, he said that "in the last 3-4 years things have come about in connection with the Church which would have been unthinkable fifteen years ago (i.e., the time at which the partial agreement was reached). It would therefore be a mistake were we to describe something still in the future as unthinkable___11 A certain amount of progress has undoubtedly been made since 1964 in solving various problems. It is no less obvious however, - and this has been stressed by important State functionaries - that despite the often repeated catchword of "regulated relations" in connection with the relationship between Church and State there are still many issues which remain unsolved. Imre Miklós also admitted this at his press conference. "Naturally," he said, "there are unresolved matters now, and there will always be ones in the future; but I do not know of any which cannot be solved by negotiations." At present, there are still a large number of important matters which have not been resolved, such as:- Religious instruction: In 1974 there came about, as a result of State pressure, an agreement between the State and the Bishops Conference concerning a "unified regulation" of religious instruction in the churches. The faithful were officially informed of the agreement through a pastoral letter issued by the Bishops Conference in December of that year. Actually, this "regulation" is in desperate need of being regulated anew, since the agreement was accompanied by a number of limitations as to the way, time, and place in which the hour of religious instruction was to be held, the number of praticipants, etc. The hour of religious instruction, for example, can only take place in the church or sacristy, which are cold in winter, rather than in the rectory or some other suitable place. Such a type of limitation on religious instruction is not even to be found in Rumania (see the statement made by the diocesan bishop of Alba Julia, Antal Jakab, at the last Synod of Bishops). In addition, religious instruction may only be given by members of the clergy, despite the fact that the theological extension course, which is now in its third year, has produced lay persons who are fully trained to carry out such activity. The introduction of lay religion teachers would be a great help to the priests since they would then have more time for other pastoral duties. In the existing situation, it is paradoxical that Imre Miklós should refer to the theological extension course for the laity as one of the "positive steps" which would have been unthinkable 15-20 years ago. Realistically seen, this course
