A Herman Ottó Múzeum évkönyve 49. (2010)

Bartha Elek: A szakrális terek mikroszintü szerveződésének kérdései: A görög katolikus példa

ISSUES IN THE MICRO-LEVEL ORGANIZATION OF SACRAL SPACES: THE GREEK CATHOLIC EXAMPLE The micro level of sacral space in the theoretical sense is comprised of the smallest models of religious practices that still operate independently. This could be also identified as the parochial level, yet it incorporates the religious practice model of the individuals, too. Although the latter is part and parcel of the religious life of the parish as a rule, it nevertheless has its own specific features and it is capable of functioning independently on its own. The basic type of local exercise of religion is determined by the worship modes offered by the local parish as well as the religious exercises of the local community. Church liturgy, in the form it is practiced at the local level, is under continuous supervision by the local community. In turn, the local forms of worship within the parochial level represent a sort of personal religious model for the individuals. An appropriate field for the micro-level research of sacral spaces are provided by the Greek Catholic congregations in Northern, North-Eastern, and Eastern Hungary as well as by the kindred communities across the present national borders. These would constitute a relatively small portion of the denominational macro region located along the "Orthodox fault line" that divides the eastern part from the western part of Europe; however, a number of lessons might be learned with the help of the findings and data collected here. This article is an attempt to illustrate these lessons on the basis of some local data. Elek Bartha 480