Hungary’s new government should handle relations with the churches as an issue of strategic importance, Zoltan Balog, head of Parliament’s human rights and religious affairs committee, delegated by the main opposition Fidesz party, told MTI on Tuesday.
Balog referred to a State Audit Office report and noted that schools run by religious organisations had not received 4.4 billion forints (EUR 16m) in state subsidies over the past three years. “Restoring the government’s reputation” should be a top priority following the general elections set for April, Balog said, and suggested that the schools should be reimbursed gradually, in line with the actual state of public finance. This is “not only a moral but a legal obligation,” he said.
Dont they have Rome or something that helps them out? Or do they just offer priests,nuns etc?
Jobbik wanted even to create a new Minister only for Church-business, I do not see that Fidesz want to do than
The Pope is probably more happy with Jobbik, than Fidesz?
Hello Atilla,
Good question. depends on the country and it’s constitution and legal environment. In some nations the church cannot rely of govt assistance because of legality. In others, they get state subsidies.
I have maintained on this website, that from the days of King Stephen on, the Roman church has had an “over-priviledged” position in Hungarian life. It was a cult that enjoyed state sponsorship and protection. In addition to that the church owned vast amounts of land and kept many people as serfs. Apparently modern Hungary continues to offer state support to church schools, the whole squawk is about not getting their govt. checks on time. So the church is on the state dole, like so many indiviuals!
If this goes on, then the govt is subsidising a religious cult. If its discontinued, then the church will cry that the costs will have to be borne entirely by tuition paying parents- something problematic given that the nation is not very wealthy.
I’d just like to get the Roman church out of our hair, or rather get it off state subsidy. I would encourage Proetestant and evangelistic churches to open their own schools in Hungary. They can operate without govt support, because they have a good worldwide network fo fund raising.
FL, I must admit to being a little surprised at the strength of the way you expressed your view in the last post.Not that I necessarily disagree though.I find it terribly bad form that the Roman Catholic church can be so impossibly rich, while Hungary is in such financial stress, and yet still put on a tantrum when they don’t get their subsidy cheques.I believe very firmly in complete separation of church and state and think that although freedom of religion and a choice of educational institution are important rights, I do tend to think they should be costs borne by those who choose that path.In too many countries, state provided education and health become ‘safety nets’, basically a second class service for those that can’t afford ‘real’ schools or hospitals.Why shouldn’t state provided services be better?Perhaps they could if rich institutions paid their own way.I agree with you about Protestant churches in general, though I do have some sense of caution about the modern Pentecostal churches that promote ‘prosperity doctrine’ at the expense of social concern and compassion, and who’s internal structure easily become cult-like in their demand for total control over the lives of their congregation.
Thank you Farkas!!
The Roman church must have strong political influence , or very strong support from certain hungarians.. so i doubt it would be easy to remove them off state subsidy. Surely the church would cause havoc in the streets of hungary until they get it back, so how to you suppose we remove them off state subsidy without any major backlash?
Kedves Attila,
Good post! The short answer is that we probably can’t get the Roman church entirely off state suport in Hungary. Their priests, especially their upper hierarchy, are notrious intriguers and recall having a priviledged position as a state supported cult for a 1,000 years. In a country like the US, they have to wear a different mask and a different sense of public pretension. To Hungarian life they bring their very ancient sense of entitlement. You are probably very right (unfortunately!) that they would stir up public unrest if we tried to cut them off, as I don’t think they would be above doing that. (This bunch sold out the Spanish people in the 1930′s and fed them to the wolves, something they could just as well do now, especially when their interests are threatened.)
I can offer some insight from the Latin American experience. The fastest growing religious groups throughout Spanish America are the Protestant churches. The people never forget the complicity of the Roman church in the destruction of their culture and enslvaement by the Spanish. The church ended up, like in Hungary, owning almost a third of the land and keeping people in serfdom. Now that they have a choice (something that wasn’t always allowed), they are “voting with their feet” and joining any church but a Catholic one.
Hungarians should do the same. There are many Protestant denominations, or even go Buddhist if you want, but the Church of Rome deserves some competition.
@FL:
Why join a church (any church) at all ? My wife and I have been happy living Atheists as long as we can remember.
PS: I didn’t even ask her about her “religion” when we met, I always surmised that she wasn’t interested in this nonsense …
Hi wolfi,
Indeed, yours is a valid question as well. The realist in me says that it all fulfills a deep need in many people, and so religion and church going will go on.
The real problem throughout European history has been on what terms does a society and state allow these cults to insinuate themselves into the politics of the host nation, for state subsidies, suppression of competing cults, suprresion of freedoms of expression and to operate as very large landowners. Not just Hungary, but every European nation has had to struggle mightily, and over centuries over these issues!
Both the Roman and Orthodox churches have a vast priestly hierarchy, which differentiates them from many “storefront” churches, which are one man shows. European history abundantly demonstrates that large priestly hierarchies, accustomed to wealth and political influence, are a danger to civil liberties, political openess and even economic progress.