Fraternity-Testvériség, 1961 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1961-08-01 / 8. szám
18 FRATERNITY actually happened was as follows. In 1868 the so-called LIlIrd paragraph was introduced. It gave all citizens equal rights, no matter what their religious beliefs. It stipulated that no one was to be prevented from changing from one faith to another, provided, in the case of a male, he was 18 years or over in age, and in the case of a female, at the time of marriage, even if under 18 years. If anyone wished to change his faith, he now had only to declare his intention before his own priest or minister in the presence of two witnesses, return 14 days later, and again before two witnesses declare to his minister or priest that he still desired to make the change. Thereupon, he received a certificate from the minister or priest which was binding and accepted by law. In the case of mixed marriages children were to follow the faith of their parents— the son his father’s, the daughter her mother’s faith. “Reversal” was to be forbidden, which meant that any statement made before marriage about the future children’s religion was null and void, Xo one was to be forced to keep the festivals of another’s religion, or be prevented from working on such festival days; nor was anyone or any organization to be allowed to disturb or interrupt the public worship of any religious body. Each Church was to provide chaplains for its own members serving in the army. All Churches could create whatever new parishes they wished. Paragraph XXXVIII referred to church schools. In the first place compulsory schooling was now instituted, and the right given to parents to send their children to the school of their choice. The law put no barriers on the erection of any church school building, so that a Church could support as man}7 schools as it wished; all church schools, however, were to come under government inspection. But the law outlined the exact requirements of a school in respect toward furniture and equipment. The latter clause the Reformed Church found very difficult to accept. The long struggle for freedom which it had
