lated institutions have been a natural vehicle for the
promotion of Hungarian group interests and the preservation of Hungarian
cultural traditions. Catholic schools, which were independent of
government control until 1948, most often used Hungarian or German as
the language of instruction.

The Concordat of 1927 between the Holy See and the Romanian state
defined the legal position of the Roman Catholic Church in Romania until
the communist takeover. It gave the church full equality with the
dominant Romanian Orthodox Church and other denominations and granted it
sole control over its educational institutions, hospitals, and
charitable organizations. In contrast to all other denominations, the
Roman Catholic Church was free from state administrative control and did
not receive any financial support from the state. The concordat was
abrogated by the Romanian government in 1948, and since that time the
position of the Roman Catholic Church has been unclear.

The Catholic bishops have refused to recognize the supremacy of the
state over church affairs as expressed in the General Regulations for
Religious Cults of 1948, and consequently the state has not granted the
church legal recognition as a religious denomination. Between 1948 and
1967 the government tried to force the church into submission by
systematically weakening its position. Uncooperative clergy were either
imprisoned or otherwise prevented from exercising their clerical and
administrative duties; all church schools, hospitals, and charitable
institutions were taken over by the government, and all other church
assets were confiscated. All but two monasteries and three convents were
disbanded, and even these were not permitted to accept new novices. In
addition, the organization of the church was reduced from six to two
dioceses, Alba-Iulia and Bucharest. Since the church has not been
receiving a state subsidy and has been forbidden to seek contributions,
most clergy have been supporting themselves by working at lay jobs.
Church buildings have been deteriorating because of lack of maintenance,
and many travelers have commented on the marked difference in appearance
between the decaying Catholic churches and the well-maintained Orthodox
churches.

As part of a general political liberalization in 1967 the arch-bishop of
Alba-Iulia, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Romania, and other
clergy were released from imprisonment. The action marked the reopening
of