ECUMENISM
The peaceful demonstrations asking for the resignation of the Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány are continuing in various Hungarian cities. After the publication on 17 September of tape recordings in which the premier admitted he had lied to the electors, thousands of protesters have been filling the square in front of the Parliament in Budapest every evening. In addition, an ecumenical marquee for personal and collective prayer was installed in Kossuth Square, in front of the Parliament building. It is open day and night to anyone who wants to “keep vigil in silence, meditate, and pray for a peaceful and just solution of the domestic situation, and for the moral renewal of the nation”. The Churches denounce the illegal rioting and violence, but emphasise the right of people to peacefully demonstrate as a way of condemning the conduct of the Prime Minister who has precipitated the country into a moral crisis. Various representatives of the Churches are backing the demonstrations with their own presence. Daily prayers for a peaceful and just solution of the crisis are being recited in various churches both in the capital and in other Hungarian cities.
