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- Title
A magyar református egyházkerületek országos képviseletének kialakulása és szerepe az Osztrák--Magyar Monarchiában.
- Authors
Olga, Lukács
- Abstract
The Settlement of 1867 brought a new chapter in the relations of the Reformed Church Districts. During the absolutistic era relations among the districts existed only at spiritual level, each one struggling for its autonomy separately and in isolation. The institution of the Convent is based on the decrees of the Synod held in Buda in 1791, its goal being the single representation of the Hungarian Reformed Church. In the years marked by absolutisms the holding of larger meetings was strictly prohibited, hence the activities of the Convent also ceased. After the withdrawal of the Patent in 1860 Convent-meetings were held in Budapest, however, Transylvania was only represented at these meetings starting with 1867. The Hungarian Reformed Convent was finally created in 1873 after several meetings, becoming the representative of the whole Hungarian Reformed Church. The competence of the General Convent can be summarized as follows: its functions were the enforcement of the synodal decrees as well as the protection of the Church's rights. Other tasks of the Convent were: supervising the mission, administering the deacon work in the church and the complementary payments of the priests and solving issues regarding church-owned schools. At disciplinary level the Convent was the highest instance. Its members were elected by the general meetings of the districts and not by the presbyteries. This paper presents the significance of the National Synod as well as those development phases, which lead to its organization. Starting with 1876 the necessity of organizing a national synod increased significantly on part of the Reformed church districts. The task of its organization fell on the Convent. It was decided that the National Synod will be reorganized every ten years, its primary function being the legislative one. In its times of intermission the Synod was replaced by the General Convent. On 31st of October 1881, after a four-year preparation period the highly important Conventional Synod could finally commence its activities in Debrecen, where the statute books of the five Reformed church districts were drawn up. Its main importance consisted in the fact that the Hungarian Reformed Church could thereafter finally organize itself at national level, could uniformly define its constitutional framework and its general representation both in its own circles as well as towards the state and the Austrian monarchy.
- Subjects
BUDA (Hungary); HUNGARY; CHURCH &; state; CONVENTS; COUNCILS &; synods; MONARCHY; RELIGIOUS institutions; CLERGY
- Publication
Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Theologia Reformata Transylvanica, 2009, Vol 54, Issue 2, p123
- ISSN
1582-5418
- Publication type
Article