HUNGARY
556
HUNGARY
sion to the throne secured to the female line; this was
enacted \>y the Diet of 1723. When Charles died his
daughter Maria Theresa (1740-SO), on the strength
of this law, succeeded him on the Hungarian throne.
During her reign the ordinances of the Resohdio
Carolina were strictly enforced; in reply to the
complaints brought against it by the Protestants, the
queen said that she ilid not intend to make any con-
cessions outside of those contained in the law. The
Catholic Church rapidly developed in this reign.
There was no longer a lack of priests for parish work,
and the bishops sought to train up capable and well-
educated persons for the pastorate. The religious
orders increased so largely under Maria Theresa that
enactments were issued in 1770 to check the growth
of their numbers. According to a census of this year,
there were in Hungary 3570 male religious, including
191 hermits; this number was made by law the maxi-
mum which was not to be exceeded. Great stress
was also laid upon the development of education,
new schools and institutions for education were estab-
lished, and the queen
directed her atten-
tion also to advanced
instruction. The
university at Nagy-
Szombat (Tyrnau),
founded by Peter
Piizmiiny, was com-
pleted in 1769 by
the addition of a
medical faculty; it
was removed in 1776
to Buda, and in 1780
to Pest; in 1777 the
Ratio educationis was
issued, which regu-
lated the entire sys-
tem of education.
The suppression of the Jesuits occurred during the reign of Maria Theresa, and the order ceased to oxist in Hungary. Its possessions, which became the property of the Crown, were used for the promotion of education. New dioceses were also formed at this time; in 1776 the Dioceses of BeszterczebAnya (Neusohl), Rozsnyo (Rosenau), and Szepes (Zips) were founded; in 1777 the Dioceses of Szombathely (Steinamanger), and Sz^kes Feh(5rv;ir (Stuhlweissen- burg). In regard to the filling of the bishoprics. Art. XV of 1741 enacted that only natives should be appointed to the sees. This decree was contrary to the custom followed by the predecessors of Maria Theresa, under whom it frequently happened that ecclesiastical dignities were bestowed on foreigners. From 1770 the queen also reserved to herself the appointment of canons. The taxing of ecclesiastical benefices, which had existed from 1717, and had re- ceived at that time the papal confirmation, was later renewed from decade to decade, and finally, in 1765, was treated as a permanent tax.
The Church suffered greatly during the reign of Joseph II (1780-90), the son and successor of Maria Theresa. The Edict of Toleration, which annulled the Resohdio Carolina, was issued 25 October, 1781. This decree made large concessions to the Protestants; thus it was enacted that wherever there were one hundred Protestant families they could freely exer- cise their religion and might build churches without steeples or bells in such places. The Protestants were also permitted to hold public offices; it was further enacted that they could not be forced to take an oath apposed to their religious convictions and were re-
leased from observing the Catholic feast days. Mat-
ters connected with the marriage of Protestants were
placed under the control of the secular courts. All
the children of a mixed marriage were to be brought
up as Catholics when the father was a Catholic; if he
were not, then only the daughters were to be Catholics.
These ordinances worketl much harm to the Catholic
Faith; moreover the Emperor Joseph interfered in
various other ecclesiastical matters. He reserved to
himself the right f)f foim<ling new parishes; diocesan
seminaries were replaced by state institutions, eccle-
siastical atTairs were put under the control of a
special Hungarian commission; edicts were also is-
sued in regard to the administration of church lands
etc. These ordinances were a source of much damage
to the Church, Init the emperor went even further.
With a few exceptions — the teaching orders and those
who had the cure of souls — he suppressed all the
religious orders in Hungary and confiscated their
property. He also provoked a rupture with the Holy
See, and even the journey of Pope Pius \T to Vienna
did not produce any change in the eccle- siastical policy of the emperor. The uni- versal discontent which the edicts of the emperor had called forth obliged Joseph, who had re- fused to l)e crowned King of Hungary, to withdraw Ijefore his death (1790) all his enactments, with the exception of the edict of toleration and the decree concerning the serfs.
In the reign of Leopold II (1790- 9L'), the Diet of 1790-91 granted the Protestants com- plete independence in the management of their ecclesiastical affairs. Liberty of religious belief was recognized, and the enactments of the Government were not allowed to affect any matters concerning Protestant churches and schools. In regard to mixed marriages it was decreed that these should be solenmized before a Catholic priest, who was not permitted to prevent such a marriage. The children of a mixed marriage were to be brought up in the Catholic Faith when the father was a Catholic: when he was not, then only the sons were trained in the religion of the father. While this decree gave the Protestants various advantages, and especially guaranteed their autonomy, the Catho- lic Church sutTered much damage. The administra- tion contiiuially sought to secure greater influence in its affairs; in the years of war it demanded increas- ingly greater aid from the Catholic clergy and allowed a number of the wealthiest ecclesiastical benefices to remain vacant in order to enjoy their revenues during vacancy. Thus, for example, the archiepiscopal See of Gran remained vacant for nearly twenty years. During the reign of Francis I (1792-1835) there was no change for a long period in ecclesiastical affairs. For this the king was largely responsible; he looked with no friendly eye on clerical activity in politics, although the clergy, on account of their position in the country and their wealth, were well fitted to take part in political affairs. The Dioceses of Kassa (Kaschau) and Szatmiir were founded in 1804, and at a later date the Diocese of Eger (Erlau) was raised to an archdiocese with the Dioceses of Szepes (Zips), Rozs-
(.'.\THE1»RAL, K.\J^CH.4U (KaS8.\)
