The Visit

A black Mercedes-Benz sedan belonging to Austria's legation in Hungary sped from Vienna to Budapest one morning last week and pulled up in front of the U.S. legation. Inside the building, Vienna's Franziskus Cardinal Konig went to the room occupied since 1956 by Josef Cardinal Mindszenty. For four hours, the two clerics talked about Pope John's wish that the Hungarian primate leave the country and go to Rome as part of John's new "active neutrality" in the cold war (TIME, April 12).

Kbnig returned alone to Vienna that evening; his mission was at least partly successful. It was announced that he would cross the border again "within the foreseeable future" to see the Most Rev.

Endre Hamvas, Bishop of Csanad and acting leader of the Hungarian church. Communist sources let it be known that they expected the Mindszenty "problem" to be cleared up within two months. But Mindszenty apparently laid down some stiff conditions before he would agree to leave. Among them: that a suitable successor be found for the primacy, that the government permit the Vatican to consecrate bishops for four vacant sees, that Hungary's party-lining association of "peace priests" be abolished.

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