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Le communisme se chargera de détruire en une dizaine d'années la presque totalité de ce patrimoine séculaire, dès après l'expulsion du nonce apostolique, Mgr Angelo Rotta (4 avril 1945). La réforme agraire qui suivit fut l'occasion d'exproprier l'Église de la plus grande partie de ses biens fonciers (on ne laissa aux 15 maisons diocésaines que 57 hectares au total) qui lui avaient permis d'assurer le fonctionnement de ses activités éducatives et sociales (hôpitaux, orphelinats, asiles) ainsi, bien sûr, que son action apostolique.
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In 1945, when the Soviet troops succeeded in taking over the country after routing the German army, Hungary had a population of about 10 million, with 7 million Catholics (68.1%); the other confessions in the country were the Protestants (26.8%), Jews (4.4%) and Orthodox (0.6%). This goes to show the strong spiritual authority the Church enjoyed in this profoundly Catholic country, with 3 archdioceses (including Esztergom, traditional see of the Cardinal Primate), 8 dioceses, 2 apostolic administrations, and 2 vicariates. These ecclesiastical circumscriptions included 2,265 parishes, ministered to by 4,012 diocesan priests. There was also a “nullius” Benedictine abbey, 18 male religious orders (2,456 members, with 1,422 priests) and 39 female religious orders (7,525 members).
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