HIS-Press-Service, 1985 (8. évfolyam, 26-28. szám)
1985-02-01 / 28. szám
HIS Press Service No. 28, February 1985 Page 5 among the faithful, the Catholic Church - like the Protestant Churches - roughly on the same scale - was allowed some years ago to start up a corespondence course on theology for lay persons. It was designed to cater for the increasing thirst for religious knowledge as well as for engaged Christians willing to involve themselves in the pastoral activities of the Church. There are no obstacles to the theory, but as for the practice, the State has still not given its permission for the actual engagement, i.e. effective employment of course participants who have completed the course, in the diocesan pastoral care service. - For spiritual intensification, as well as for practical training as helpers for the Church, there is the recently opened retreat-house (which holds up to 30 beds) which has met with great success among the faithful and, as originally forseseen, is wel1-frequented by mostly elderly people. - The increasingly tolerant attitude of the State towards the Church base groups, which are becoming more significant, is likewise a result of the improved relations between Church and State. And this relative discretion on the part of the authorities has reinforced the base groups in their attitude and activities. It is in these groups that the Christian message is most openly revealed, adapted to the new conditions under which the Church has to live and work. However, there is - and this is within the Church itself - constant friction about these groups, which are still a somewhat controversial subject for some. It would therefore be of great importance for them if Rome could find a possibility of getting more information about these groups and their problems, than has been the case up to now. Apart from the already mentioned major significance of the agreement as the beginning of a future dialogue, the most important immediate result must be seen in the smoothly effected filling of several episcopal sees; with the appointment of László Lékai as Archbishop of Esztergom in 1976 the Hungarian hierarchy was complete once more. In the preliminary talks to the agreement the State had insisted on beginning with matters affecting Church personnel, stating that only persons who were amenable to both the Holy See and the Hungarian Government alike would be allowed to be appointed as bishops - thus the latter could then solve the problems in pastoral care themselves. The Vatican too was willing to give priority to personnel matters for, only through the bishops, can the Holy See convey its assistance and support to the national Churches. Unresolved Matters On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Partial Agreement a series of assessments was made; and there was general reference to the fact that there was still, as before, a series of unresolved problems and further steps must be
