{"id":32394,"date":"2017-09-09T20:53:34","date_gmt":"2017-09-10T00:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/?p=32394\/"},"modified":"2017-09-09T20:53:34","modified_gmt":"2017-09-10T00:53:34","slug":"thousands-protest-transylvania-romanias-planned-closure-hungarian-catholic-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/en\/thousands-protest-transylvania-romanias-planned-closure-hungarian-catholic-school\/","title":{"rendered":"THOUSANDS PROTEST IN TRANSYLVANIA AGAINST ROMANIA\u2019S PLANNED CLOSURE OF A HUNGARIAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday, thousands gathered in the Transylvanian city of Targu Mures (Marosv\u00e1s\u00e1rhely) at a protest held in support of the local Roman Catholic High School, which was set to be closed by Romanian authorities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As Romania\u2019s Roman Catholics are overwhelmingly ethnic Hungarians, the move was seen by many in the Hungarian community as an ethnically- and religiously-based attack on the part of the government.<\/p>\n

The move to close the Hungarian school began due to Romanian government claims (whose lengthy background you can read about\u00a0in Hungarian here<\/a>) that the school lacked proper documentation. This subsequently led to a case being launched last year against the school\u2019s principal and the school itself.<\/p>\n

The protest was organized by the Roman Catholic Status Foundation, and included leaders of both the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches of Transylvania, all of which have majority-Hungarian membership.<\/p>\n

Major speakers at the event included Gy\u00f6rgy Jakubinyi, Archbishop of Alba Iulia (Gyulafeh\u00e9rv\u00e1r) as well as B\u00e9la Kat\u00f3, Reformed Bishop of Transylvania, and Barna Kap\u00e1s, head of the Status Foundation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Alba Iulia Archbishop Gy\u00f6rgy Jakubinyi speaking at the protest in Targu Mures (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Protest leaders called on the Romanian government, and on the Ministry of Education in particular, to issue a governmental or ministerial decree guaranteeing the continued operation of the Catholic Theological High School.<\/p>\n

In his speech, Archbishop Jakubinyi said that this was a protest \u201cin defense of our rights.\u201d Quoting famed Transylvanian bishop \u00c1ron M\u00e1rton, Jakubinyi added that<\/p>\n

This is not politics; this is our life.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hungarian Diplomatic Response<\/strong><\/p>\n

In response to the Romanian government\u2019s planned closure of the school, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry summoned Romania\u2019s ambassador for discussions.<\/p>\n

State secretary Levente Magyar voiced the Hungarian government\u2019s shock and told a press conference that the move was equal to<\/p>\n

an attack against the Catholic Church, the Hungarian minority, children, families, and the restitution process in Romania.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Magyar also claimed that the Hungarian government would suspend its support for Romania\u2019s aspirations to join various international organizations such as the OECD. At the same time, he said Hungary continues to consider Romania a strategic partner and an important ally.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ethnic Hungarian religious leaders gathered on the steps of the Targu Mures prefect\u2019s office, as part of a protest against the closure of the city\u2019s Roman Catholic High School. In the foreground, a poster can be seen emblazoned with the message \u201cDon\u2019t Abandon the School!\u201d (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda)\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He called on Romania to resolve the issue of Hungarian education in Targu Mures as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

Magyar further claimed that, while Romania has repeatedly promised to resolve the problem, instead several hundred children and their parents have been misled. The Romanian side has rejected numerous proposals made by Hungarians and parents have been \u201cintimidated\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n

Zsolt Nemeth, the head parliament\u2019s foreign affairs committee, told a press conference held on the issue of the Catholic secondary school in Targu Mures that the ruling Fidesz party objects to \u201cthe Romanian authorities\u2019 persecution of Christians\u201d. Nemeth, of Fidesz, welcomed a demonstration held in Targu Mures and praised parents\u2019 and students\u2019 perseverance in protecting their basic rights. He also noted that the historic churches, interest representation bodies, political organisations and ethnic Hungarians in Romania have joined forces in their protest.<\/p>\n

Nemeth said it is important that Romania should respect the right to church education, the restitution of church property and the freedom of religion.<\/p>\n

Romanian Response<\/strong><\/p>\n

Initially, Romania\u2019s foreign ministry responded by saying that Romania does not violate the education rights of either Hungarian minorities or Catholics, and by dismissing the Hungarian government\u2019s stance on the case of the Targu Mures secondary school as election campaign posturing.<\/p>\n

The ministry said Romanian authorities \u201cregret\u201d that the case of the school \u201chas become a topic of the Hungarian election campaign\u201d and that children\u2019s rights to quality education are \u201cbeing sacrificed for political interests\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Arch-Dean Father D\u00e9nes Ol\u00e1h speaking at the protest, organized by the Roman Catholic Status Foundation (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ministry added that authorities were in constant dialogue with the parties involved to find a lawful solution to the school\u2019s situation, warning that all educational institutions in Romania have to comply with the country\u2019s laws, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnic makeup.<\/p>\n

The statement said Hungary\u2019s decision to tie the issue of the Targu Mures school to matters such as its support for Romania\u2019s aspirations to join international organizations like the OECD was a \u201cwrong and unfriendly\u201d one.<\/p>\n

A Successful Protest: Romanian Prime Minister, Education Minister Weigh In<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Thursday, the Romanian government\u2019s stance softened significantly, with Prime Minister Mihai Tudose himself saying that his Foreign Ministry had issued an \u201cexcessively harsh\u201d response to Hungary.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Romania\u2019s Digi24 TV network, Tudose said that he did not believe that Hungary truly wanted to prevent Romania from entering the OECD, and that if such would be the case, it would not be announced by a state secretary.<\/p>\n

Referring to the school closure controversy, Tudose insisted that Romania would never close a school for ethnic or religious reasons, and described the entire affair as a \u201cbureaucratic mistake\u201d at the local level.<\/p>\n

Criticizing his own foreign ministry, Tudose said that<\/p>\n

While supposedly the cream of the diplomatic crop is there, there response was more reminiscent to that of a sports ministry. They treated it like a boxing match: if you hit me, I\u2019ll hit you!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Following these comments, Liviu Pop, Romania\u2019s Minister of Education, announced that Targu Mures\u2019 Catholic School would not be closed after all, but rather would be officially placed under the rubric of the Hungarian-language Farkas Bolyai High School.<\/p>\n

In a statement, the minister announced that children would be signed up for classes, and that classes should begin on Monday. The students and teachers would officially be assigned to the Farkas Bolyai High School while the ongoing legal case is still underway, but that neither the school\u2019s location nor its teachers would change. In addition, once the case comes to a conclusion, Pop said,<\/p>\n

everything will go back to normal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Via MTI, origo.hu, transindex.ro, szekelyhon.ro, and magyarkurir.hu<\/p>\n

Images via MTI<\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0hungarytoday.hu<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday, thousands gathered in the Transylvanian city of Targu Mures (Marosv\u00e1s\u00e1rhely) at a protest held in support of the local Roman Catholic High School, which was set to be closed by Romanian authorities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As Romania\u2019s Roman Catholics are overwhelmingly ethnic Hungarians, the move was seen by many in the Hungarian community as an ethnically- and religiously-based attack on the part of the government.<\/p>\n

The move to close the Hungarian school began due to Romanian government claims (whose lengthy background you can read about\u00a0in Hungarian here<\/a>) that the school lacked proper documentation. This subsequently led to a case being launched last year against the school\u2019s principal and the school itself.<\/p>\n

The protest was organized by the Roman Catholic Status Foundation, and included leaders of both the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches of Transylvania, all of which have majority-Hungarian membership.<\/p>\n

Major speakers at the event included Gy\u00f6rgy Jakubinyi, Archbishop of Alba Iulia (Gyulafeh\u00e9rv\u00e1r) as well as B\u00e9la Kat\u00f3, Reformed Bishop of Transylvania, and Barna Kap\u00e1s, head of the Status Foundation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Alba Iulia Archbishop Gy\u00f6rgy Jakubinyi speaking at the protest in Targu Mures (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Protest leaders called on the Romanian government, and on the Ministry of Education in particular, to issue a governmental or ministerial decree guaranteeing the continued operation of the Catholic Theological High School.<\/p>\n

In his speech, Archbishop Jakubinyi said that this was a protest \u201cin defense of our rights.\u201d Quoting famed Transylvanian bishop \u00c1ron M\u00e1rton, Jakubinyi added that<\/p>\n

This is not politics; this is our life.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hungarian Diplomatic Response<\/strong><\/p>\n

In response to the Romanian government\u2019s planned closure of the school, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry summoned Romania\u2019s ambassador for discussions.<\/p>\n

State secretary Levente Magyar voiced the Hungarian government\u2019s shock and told a press conference that the move was equal to<\/p>\n

an attack against the Catholic Church, the Hungarian minority, children, families, and the restitution process in Romania.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Magyar also claimed that the Hungarian government would suspend its support for Romania\u2019s aspirations to join various international organizations such as the OECD. At the same time, he said Hungary continues to consider Romania a strategic partner and an important ally.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ethnic Hungarian religious leaders gathered on the steps of the Targu Mures prefect\u2019s office, as part of a protest against the closure of the city\u2019s Roman Catholic High School. In the foreground, a poster can be seen emblazoned with the message \u201cDon\u2019t Abandon the School!\u201d (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda)\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He called on Romania to resolve the issue of Hungarian education in Targu Mures as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

Magyar further claimed that, while Romania has repeatedly promised to resolve the problem, instead several hundred children and their parents have been misled. The Romanian side has rejected numerous proposals made by Hungarians and parents have been \u201cintimidated\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n

Zsolt Nemeth, the head parliament\u2019s foreign affairs committee, told a press conference held on the issue of the Catholic secondary school in Targu Mures that the ruling Fidesz party objects to \u201cthe Romanian authorities\u2019 persecution of Christians\u201d. Nemeth, of Fidesz, welcomed a demonstration held in Targu Mures and praised parents\u2019 and students\u2019 perseverance in protecting their basic rights. He also noted that the historic churches, interest representation bodies, political organisations and ethnic Hungarians in Romania have joined forces in their protest.<\/p>\n

Nemeth said it is important that Romania should respect the right to church education, the restitution of church property and the freedom of religion.<\/p>\n

Romanian Response<\/strong><\/p>\n

Initially, Romania\u2019s foreign ministry responded by saying that Romania does not violate the education rights of either Hungarian minorities or Catholics, and by dismissing the Hungarian government\u2019s stance on the case of the Targu Mures secondary school as election campaign posturing.<\/p>\n

The ministry said Romanian authorities \u201cregret\u201d that the case of the school \u201chas become a topic of the Hungarian election campaign\u201d and that children\u2019s rights to quality education are \u201cbeing sacrificed for political interests\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Arch-Dean Father D\u00e9nes Ol\u00e1h speaking at the protest, organized by the Roman Catholic Status Foundation (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ministry added that authorities were in constant dialogue with the parties involved to find a lawful solution to the school\u2019s situation, warning that all educational institutions in Romania have to comply with the country\u2019s laws, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnic makeup.<\/p>\n

The statement said Hungary\u2019s decision to tie the issue of the Targu Mures school to matters such as its support for Romania\u2019s aspirations to join international organizations like the OECD was a \u201cwrong and unfriendly\u201d one.<\/p>\n

A Successful Protest: Romanian Prime Minister, Education Minister Weigh In<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Thursday, the Romanian government\u2019s stance softened significantly, with Prime Minister Mihai Tudose himself saying that his Foreign Ministry had issued an \u201cexcessively harsh\u201d response to Hungary.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Romania\u2019s Digi24 TV network, Tudose said that he did not believe that Hungary truly wanted to prevent Romania from entering the OECD, and that if such would be the case, it would not be announced by a state secretary.<\/p>\n

Referring to the school closure controversy, Tudose insisted that Romania would never close a school for ethnic or religious reasons, and described the entire affair as a \u201cbureaucratic mistake\u201d at the local level.<\/p>\n

Criticizing his own foreign ministry, Tudose said that<\/p>\n

While supposedly the cream of the diplomatic crop is there, there response was more reminiscent to that of a sports ministry. They treated it like a boxing match: if you hit me, I\u2019ll hit you!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Following these comments, Liviu Pop, Romania\u2019s Minister of Education, announced that Targu Mures\u2019 Catholic School would not be closed after all, but rather would be officially placed under the rubric of the Hungarian-language Farkas Bolyai High School.<\/p>\n

In a statement, the minister announced that children would be signed up for classes, and that classes should begin on Monday. The students and teachers would officially be assigned to the Farkas Bolyai High School while the ongoing legal case is still underway, but that neither the school\u2019s location nor its teachers would change. In addition, once the case comes to a conclusion, Pop said,<\/p>\n

everything will go back to normal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Via MTI, origo.hu, transindex.ro, szekelyhon.ro, and magyarkurir.hu<\/p>\n

Images via MTI<\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0hungarytoday.hu<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":32395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[166],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nTHOUSANDS PROTEST IN TRANSYLVANIA AGAINST ROMANIA\u2019S PLANNED CLOSURE OF A HUNGARIAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL – Bocskai R\u00e1di\u00f3<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/en\/thousands-protest-transylvania-romanias-planned-closure-hungarian-catholic-school\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"THOUSANDS PROTEST IN TRANSYLVANIA AGAINST ROMANIA\u2019S PLANNED CLOSURE OF A HUNGARIAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL – Bocskai R\u00e1di\u00f3\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On Wednesday, thousands gathered in the Transylvanian city of Targu Mures (Marosv\u00e1s\u00e1rhely) at a protest held in support of the local Roman Catholic High School, which was set to be closed by Romanian authorities. As Romania\u2019s Roman Catholics are overwhelmingly ethnic Hungarians, the move was seen by many in the Hungarian community as an ethnically- and religiously-based attack on the part of the government. The move to close the Hungarian school began due to Romanian government claims (whose lengthy background you can read about\u00a0in Hungarian here) that the school lacked proper documentation. This subsequently led to a case being launched last year against the school\u2019s principal and the school itself. The protest was organized by the Roman Catholic Status Foundation, and included leaders of both the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches of Transylvania, all of which have majority-Hungarian membership. Major speakers at the event included Gy\u00f6rgy Jakubinyi, Archbishop of Alba Iulia (Gyulafeh\u00e9rv\u00e1r) as well as B\u00e9la Kat\u00f3, Reformed Bishop of Transylvania, and Barna Kap\u00e1s, head of the Status Foundation. Alba Iulia Archbishop Gy\u00f6rgy Jakubinyi speaking at the protest in Targu Mures (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda) Protest leaders called on the Romanian government, and on the Ministry of Education in particular, to issue a governmental or ministerial decree guaranteeing the continued operation of the Catholic Theological High School. In his speech, Archbishop Jakubinyi said that this was a protest \u201cin defense of our rights.\u201d Quoting famed Transylvanian bishop \u00c1ron M\u00e1rton, Jakubinyi added that This is not politics; this is our life. Hungarian Diplomatic Response In response to the Romanian government\u2019s planned closure of the school, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry summoned Romania\u2019s ambassador for discussions. State secretary Levente Magyar voiced the Hungarian government\u2019s shock and told a press conference that the move was equal to an attack against the Catholic Church, the Hungarian minority, children, families, and the restitution process in Romania. Magyar also claimed that the Hungarian government would suspend its support for Romania\u2019s aspirations to join various international organizations such as the OECD. At the same time, he said Hungary continues to consider Romania a strategic partner and an important ally. Ethnic Hungarian religious leaders gathered on the steps of the Targu Mures prefect\u2019s office, as part of a protest against the closure of the city\u2019s Roman Catholic High School. In the foreground, a poster can be seen emblazoned with the message \u201cDon\u2019t Abandon the School!\u201d (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda)\u00a0 He called on Romania to resolve the issue of Hungarian education in Targu Mures as soon as possible. Magyar further claimed that, while Romania has repeatedly promised to resolve the problem, instead several hundred children and their parents have been misled. The Romanian side has rejected numerous proposals made by Hungarians and parents have been \u201cintimidated\u201d, he added. Zsolt Nemeth, the head parliament\u2019s foreign affairs committee, told a press conference held on the issue of the Catholic secondary school in Targu Mures that the ruling Fidesz party objects to \u201cthe Romanian authorities\u2019 persecution of Christians\u201d. Nemeth, of Fidesz, welcomed a demonstration held in Targu Mures and praised parents\u2019 and students\u2019 perseverance in protecting their basic rights. He also noted that the historic churches, interest representation bodies, political organisations and ethnic Hungarians in Romania have joined forces in their protest. Nemeth said it is important that Romania should respect the right to church education, the restitution of church property and the freedom of religion. Romanian Response Initially, Romania\u2019s foreign ministry responded by saying that Romania does not violate the education rights of either Hungarian minorities or Catholics, and by dismissing the Hungarian government\u2019s stance on the case of the Targu Mures secondary school as election campaign posturing. The ministry said Romanian authorities \u201cregret\u201d that the case of the school \u201chas become a topic of the Hungarian election campaign\u201d and that children\u2019s rights to quality education are \u201cbeing sacrificed for political interests\u201d. Arch-Dean Father D\u00e9nes Ol\u00e1h speaking at the protest, organized by the Roman Catholic Status Foundation (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda) The ministry added that authorities were in constant dialogue with the parties involved to find a lawful solution to the school\u2019s situation, warning that all educational institutions in Romania have to comply with the country\u2019s laws, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnic makeup. The statement said Hungary\u2019s decision to tie the issue of the Targu Mures school to matters such as its support for Romania\u2019s aspirations to join international organizations like the OECD was a \u201cwrong and unfriendly\u201d one. A Successful Protest: Romanian Prime Minister, Education Minister Weigh In On Thursday, the Romanian government\u2019s stance softened significantly, with Prime Minister Mihai Tudose himself saying that his Foreign Ministry had issued an \u201cexcessively harsh\u201d response to Hungary. Speaking to Romania\u2019s Digi24 TV network, Tudose said that he did not believe that Hungary truly wanted to prevent Romania from entering the OECD, and that if such would be the case, it would not be announced by a state secretary. Referring to the school closure controversy, Tudose insisted that Romania would never close a school for ethnic or religious reasons, and described the entire affair as a \u201cbureaucratic mistake\u201d at the local level. Criticizing his own foreign ministry, Tudose said that While supposedly the cream of the diplomatic crop is there, there response was more reminiscent to that of a sports ministry. They treated it like a boxing match: if you hit me, I\u2019ll hit you! Following these comments, Liviu Pop, Romania\u2019s Minister of Education, announced that Targu Mures\u2019 Catholic School would not be closed after all, but rather would be officially placed under the rubric of the Hungarian-language Farkas Bolyai High School. In a statement, the minister announced that children would be signed up for classes, and that classes should begin on Monday. The students and teachers would officially be assigned to the Farkas Bolyai High School while the ongoing legal case is still underway, but that neither the school\u2019s location nor its teachers would change. In addition, once the case comes to a conclusion, Pop said, everything will go back to normal.   Via MTI, origo.hu, transindex.ro, szekelyhon.ro, and magyarkurir.hu Images via MTI Source:\u00a0hungarytoday.hu  \" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/en\/thousands-protest-transylvania-romanias-planned-closure-hungarian-catholic-school\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bocskai R\u00e1di\u00f3\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BocskaiRadio\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-09-10T00:53:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Csibi Lor\u00e1nd\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/D_MTI20170906045-749x415.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BocskaiRadio\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BocskaiRadio\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bocskairadio.org\\\/en\\\/thousands-protest-transylvania-romanias-planned-closure-hungarian-catholic-school\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bocskairadio.org\\\/en\\\/thousands-protest-transylvania-romanias-planned-closure-hungarian-catholic-school\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Csibi Lor\u00e1nd\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.bocskairadio.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/10edfc7ddc0e006131357c2bcb81b96b\"},\"headline\":\"THOUSANDS PROTEST IN TRANSYLVANIA AGAINST ROMANIA\u2019S PLANNED CLOSURE OF A HUNGARIAN CATHOLIC 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R\u00e1di\u00f3","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/en\/thousands-protest-transylvania-romanias-planned-closure-hungarian-catholic-school\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"THOUSANDS PROTEST IN TRANSYLVANIA AGAINST ROMANIA\u2019S PLANNED CLOSURE OF A HUNGARIAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL – Bocskai R\u00e1di\u00f3","og_description":"On Wednesday, thousands gathered in the Transylvanian city of Targu Mures (Marosv\u00e1s\u00e1rhely) at a protest held in support of the local Roman Catholic High School, which was set to be closed by Romanian authorities. As Romania\u2019s Roman Catholics are overwhelmingly ethnic Hungarians, the move was seen by many in the Hungarian community as an ethnically- and religiously-based attack on the part of the government. The move to close the Hungarian school began due to Romanian government claims (whose lengthy background you can read about\u00a0in Hungarian here) that the school lacked proper documentation. This subsequently led to a case being launched last year against the school\u2019s principal and the school itself. The protest was organized by the Roman Catholic Status Foundation, and included leaders of both the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches of Transylvania, all of which have majority-Hungarian membership. Major speakers at the event included Gy\u00f6rgy Jakubinyi, Archbishop of Alba Iulia (Gyulafeh\u00e9rv\u00e1r) as well as B\u00e9la Kat\u00f3, Reformed Bishop of Transylvania, and Barna Kap\u00e1s, head of the Status Foundation. Alba Iulia Archbishop Gy\u00f6rgy Jakubinyi speaking at the protest in Targu Mures (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda) Protest leaders called on the Romanian government, and on the Ministry of Education in particular, to issue a governmental or ministerial decree guaranteeing the continued operation of the Catholic Theological High School. In his speech, Archbishop Jakubinyi said that this was a protest \u201cin defense of our rights.\u201d Quoting famed Transylvanian bishop \u00c1ron M\u00e1rton, Jakubinyi added that This is not politics; this is our life. Hungarian Diplomatic Response In response to the Romanian government\u2019s planned closure of the school, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry summoned Romania\u2019s ambassador for discussions. State secretary Levente Magyar voiced the Hungarian government\u2019s shock and told a press conference that the move was equal to an attack against the Catholic Church, the Hungarian minority, children, families, and the restitution process in Romania. Magyar also claimed that the Hungarian government would suspend its support for Romania\u2019s aspirations to join various international organizations such as the OECD. At the same time, he said Hungary continues to consider Romania a strategic partner and an important ally. Ethnic Hungarian religious leaders gathered on the steps of the Targu Mures prefect\u2019s office, as part of a protest against the closure of the city\u2019s Roman Catholic High School. In the foreground, a poster can be seen emblazoned with the message \u201cDon\u2019t Abandon the School!\u201d (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda)\u00a0 He called on Romania to resolve the issue of Hungarian education in Targu Mures as soon as possible. Magyar further claimed that, while Romania has repeatedly promised to resolve the problem, instead several hundred children and their parents have been misled. The Romanian side has rejected numerous proposals made by Hungarians and parents have been \u201cintimidated\u201d, he added. Zsolt Nemeth, the head parliament\u2019s foreign affairs committee, told a press conference held on the issue of the Catholic secondary school in Targu Mures that the ruling Fidesz party objects to \u201cthe Romanian authorities\u2019 persecution of Christians\u201d. Nemeth, of Fidesz, welcomed a demonstration held in Targu Mures and praised parents\u2019 and students\u2019 perseverance in protecting their basic rights. He also noted that the historic churches, interest representation bodies, political organisations and ethnic Hungarians in Romania have joined forces in their protest. Nemeth said it is important that Romania should respect the right to church education, the restitution of church property and the freedom of religion. Romanian Response Initially, Romania\u2019s foreign ministry responded by saying that Romania does not violate the education rights of either Hungarian minorities or Catholics, and by dismissing the Hungarian government\u2019s stance on the case of the Targu Mures secondary school as election campaign posturing. The ministry said Romanian authorities \u201cregret\u201d that the case of the school \u201chas become a topic of the Hungarian election campaign\u201d and that children\u2019s rights to quality education are \u201cbeing sacrificed for political interests\u201d. Arch-Dean Father D\u00e9nes Ol\u00e1h speaking at the protest, organized by the Roman Catholic Status Foundation (Photo: MTI \u2013 L. Gergely Boda) The ministry added that authorities were in constant dialogue with the parties involved to find a lawful solution to the school\u2019s situation, warning that all educational institutions in Romania have to comply with the country\u2019s laws, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnic makeup. The statement said Hungary\u2019s decision to tie the issue of the Targu Mures school to matters such as its support for Romania\u2019s aspirations to join international organizations like the OECD was a \u201cwrong and unfriendly\u201d one. A Successful Protest: Romanian Prime Minister, Education Minister Weigh In On Thursday, the Romanian government\u2019s stance softened significantly, with Prime Minister Mihai Tudose himself saying that his Foreign Ministry had issued an \u201cexcessively harsh\u201d response to Hungary. Speaking to Romania\u2019s Digi24 TV network, Tudose said that he did not believe that Hungary truly wanted to prevent Romania from entering the OECD, and that if such would be the case, it would not be announced by a state secretary. Referring to the school closure controversy, Tudose insisted that Romania would never close a school for ethnic or religious reasons, and described the entire affair as a \u201cbureaucratic mistake\u201d at the local level. Criticizing his own foreign ministry, Tudose said that While supposedly the cream of the diplomatic crop is there, there response was more reminiscent to that of a sports ministry. They treated it like a boxing match: if you hit me, I\u2019ll hit you! Following these comments, Liviu Pop, Romania\u2019s Minister of Education, announced that Targu Mures\u2019 Catholic School would not be closed after all, but rather would be officially placed under the rubric of the Hungarian-language Farkas Bolyai High School. In a statement, the minister announced that children would be signed up for classes, and that classes should begin on Monday. The students and teachers would officially be assigned to the Farkas Bolyai High School while the ongoing legal case is still underway, but that neither the school\u2019s location nor its teachers would change. In addition, once the case comes to a conclusion, Pop said, everything will go back to normal.   Via MTI, origo.hu, transindex.ro, szekelyhon.ro, and magyarkurir.hu Images via MTI Source:\u00a0hungarytoday.hu  ","og_url":"https:\/\/www.bocskairadio.org\/en\/thousands-protest-transylvania-romanias-planned-closure-hungarian-catholic-school\/","og_site_name":"Bocskai R\u00e1di\u00f3","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BocskaiRadio","article_published_time":"2017-09-10T00:53:34+00:00","author":"Csibi 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