wfn.org | Hungarian ecumenical delegation visits Brussels

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

Joining European Union would strengthen churches'activities abroad

BUDAPEST, Hungary/GENEVA 18 February 1999 (lwi)  For the first time an
ecumenical delegation from Central Europe, including Roman Catholics,
Protestants and Jews, visited the European Union (EU) headquarters in
Brussels.

The early February visit by representatives of Hungary's religious
communities was significant in view of the ongoing EU membership
negotiations with the so-called threshold countries, in which religious
groups are becoming increasingly involved. Hungary, Poland and the Czech
Republic are expected to join the EU in 2002 or 2004 at the latest.

The delegation, which was in Brussels for three days, comprised several
Roman Catholic, Reformed and Lutheran bishops and two leading rabbis.

A member of the delegation, Bishop Bela Harmati of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Hungary, said the ecumenical group was received by
high ranking EU officials, among them the Commission president, Jacques
Santer and the president of the European Parliament, Jose Maria Gil-
Robles Gil-Delgado.

"Churches and faith communities in Hungary are in favor of joining the
EU," Harmati said, but "they also would like to contribute their
religious value system" even though Hungary could not set any conditions
and might have to give up certain rights. In 1998, a delegation from the
Roman Catholic Church in Poland and the Czech Republic visited the
European Union headquarters.

Moreover, Hungary's churches expect that joining the EU would confirm
and strengthen their activities abroad, especially among ethnic
Hungarian diaspora congregations, particularly in Austria.

On the Hungarian visit, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department
for Mission and Development (DMD) Area Secretary for Europe, Rev. Olli-
Pekka Lassilla commended the ecumenical approach to the EU by the
religious communities in Hungary. "This is  a sign for a good ecumenical
cooperation  in Hungary in general, which is  not at all self-evident in
the countries in Central and Eastern Europe today. Other churches in
Europe should follow this example," he said.

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/