Magyar Egyház, 1994 (73. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1994 / 1. szám
8. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ places. In the organized parishes of the free territory there are 730 members and 256 members in 11 preaching stations. If the data given at the last Synod in 1991 membership in the occupied area is close to 500. Ethnic cleansing by the Serb authorities in the Vojvodina is severe. Organized parishes in the occupied territory of Croatia are Beli Manastir (Pelmonostor), Bilje (Bellye), Kamenac (Ko), Karanac (Karancs), Korodj (Keregy), Laslovo (Szentlaszlo), Lug (Lasko), Vinogradi (Hercegszollos), Tordinci, Vardarac (Vardaroc), Zmajevac (Vorosmart). In the free territory: Bjelisevac, Hrastin (Haraszti), Osijek (Eszek), Pleternica, Retfala (Retfalu), Vinkovci. Some of them are affiliated to each other and so are the 11 preaching stations. Zagreb is in the process to become organized as a full congregation. More than half of the members from Bellye, Kopacevo, Lug and Vardaroc, 100% from Tordinci and Szentlaszlo are refugees in Croatia. Profile-data: full address of the Reformed Christian Church in Croatia: Dr. Vlatka Maceak 6/3, HR-55300, Pozega, Croatia; telephone: 38/+55-79 543, FAX 38 55 79 534. Bishop: the Rt.Rev. Endre Langh, Pozega (as above). General Secretary Rev. Karoly Andel, S. Petefija 78, HR-54106, Osijek. Number of ordained ministers: 6. The RCCC does ordain women for the ministry. The RCCC is a member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and of the Conference of European Churches. THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES CANNOT EXPECT THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH TO BECOME A MEMBER Geneva. Konrad Raiser, general secretary of the World Council of Churches has told journalists in Geneva that while he “rejoices” about good working relations with the Vatican, he knows “from longstanding experience that we cannot expect the Roman Catholic Church to join the WCC”. Speaking at a press conference on 28, March, Raiser said that there had been suggestions that the WCC would “progressively lose influence” without the Roman Catholic Church in membership. The Roman Catholic Church, with 850 to 900 million members, has never been a member of the WCC but there is co-operation on many levels between the two organizations, including a joint working group which initiates and assesses collaboration between them. Most Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches are WCC members. Raiser said that the different structures of the Roman Catholic Church, which is organized at the world level, and the WCC, which is a fellowship of nationally organized churches, made it difficult to imagine the Roman Catholic Church in WCC membership. (EPS) SECOND EUROPEAN ECUMENICAL ASSEMBLY PLANNED FOR 1997 Leányfalu, Hungary. The Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the (Roman Catholic) Conference of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) have announced that a second European Ecumenical Assembly is to take place in May 1997. The venue is yet to be chosen. The decision to hold the European Assembly was taken at the annual meeting of the CEC/CCEE joint committee in Leányfalu, Hungary. The theme of the assembly will be “Reconciliation, Gift of God, Source of Renewed Life”. A statement from the joint committee referred to “deep and manifold changes that have taken place in Europe in the economic, political, social, spiritual and religious scene”, and said that the committee was “convinced that the churches of Europe are now called to express anew their common calling and witness in the contemporary European situation”. The first European Ecumenical Assembly took place in 1989 in Basel, Switzerland. (EPS) RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH ASK FOR FORGIVENESS FOR THE 1956 SOVIET INVASION OF HUNGARY BUDAPEST. Patriarch Alexei II, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has sought forgiveness for the 1956 Soviet invasion of Hungary and pledged to build closer ties with Hungarian Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, Peace Media Service reports. Speaking to members of the Hungarian Parliament, he said that the action of previous Soviet leaders “cast a shadow over the whole Russian nation” because of their role in the suppression of the Hungarian uprising. “Together with the whole Hungarian nation, I weep for the victims and their sufferings. As a Patriarch of the Church, responsible to God for his nation, I wish to entreat your forgiveness for the guilt of 1956,” he said. (EPS) NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES IN THE WORLD “Miniskirts are devil’s work” L’Aquila, Italy. A Catholic Archbishop, Mario Peressin, has called on his parishes to rise up in a crusade against discotheques, television and miniskirts, which he claims are “works of the devil”, according to the Italian daily Corriere della Serra. The 71 year old cleric claimed that discotheques “mislead” the young, while television destroys the family and keeps monks and nuns from their
