Fodor György - Török József - Tusor Péter (szerk.): Felekezetek az Igazság szolgálatában: történelem, teológia, önazonosság (1500-2000) - Studia Theologica Budapestinensia 34. (2009)

I. Catholic-Orthodox symbiosis in Transylvania (Katolikus-ortodox együttélés Erdélyben) - József Marton: The relationship between the Roman catholic and the Greek catholic church between 1940-1950

If we try to compare the national missionary character of the two churches, we can see, that for 200 years, the Greek catholic religion and the priests (with a majority of Romanian faithful) were characterized by their own community to have a deep national responsability, while the Roman catholic religion and the priests (with a majority of Hungarian faithful) with no responsibility for the national interests, which was untrue.

The two Churches were involved in the crucial national-historical events in a different way, having different perception of celebrating. It would be enough to mention only a few important dates (896, 1848, 1918, 1920, 1940, 1944) to deduce the difference between the two emotional attitudes: on one side enthousiasm, on the other side grief. In 1896, on the occasion of the millennial jubilee, the Greek catholic priests didn’t hide their reservation. Only Petru Pop, the bishop of Lugos, and Mihail Pavel, the bishop of Nagyvárad emitted a brief pastoral letter, presenting the official greeting of the Ministry of Cults and Education,1 whereas the Roman catholic bishops commemorated with dignity the event.

In the 20lh century, while the state borders had been modified, it occurred a radical change in the position of the churches. Having the national characteristics of a state religion, the Orthodoxy had overgrown the Greek catholic church in number and influence, which determined the future “nationaf’attitude of the Greek catholic church. Although the Constitution (1923) and the Cult legislation (1928) of Romania emphasized the national character of the Greek catholic church, being accused of inner relationship with the (Roman catholic) Hungarian communities, she was forced to justify herself towards the Orthodoxy and the extremist political orientations. After 1920, the negative perception of the Roman catholic church was deepened by the protestants and the discontented Hungarians.

The cultural mission of the Roman and Greek catholic church can be presented by emphasizing the differences, or by reducing the existing and politically generated conflicts. If we try to present with scientific fidelity the coexistence of the two churches dating for

1 The millennial jubilee of Hungary. The celebrál ing words of the Hungaiian Roman catholic bishops to the priests and, the faithful on the occasion of the millenial jubilee of the Hungaiian Conquest, Ed. Szent István, Budapest 1896, 197-203.

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