Katolikus püspökök kinevezésének minisztertanácsi háttere Magyarországon, Erdélyben, a Temesi Bánságban és a Szerb Vajdaságban I. (1848–1850)
The council of ministers and the appointment of Catholic bishops in Hungary (in Transylvania, the Banat of Temesvár and the Serbian Voivodeship), 1848–1850

Summary/Abstract: After the 1848/49 revolution and war of independence, a peculiar element in Austrian politics aiming at abolishing the results of the revolution was the appointment politically loyal bishops. In our paper, we discuss the political aspects of the appointment of these bishops and mostly the proposals and arguments that came up at the meetings of the council of ministers. We will also review the group of candidates, taking into account the results of recent literature, as well as the apparent changes in the appointment process. In 1848, the ultimatum-like proposal of the Batthyány government resulted in the appointment of new bishops, among whom there were conservative (e.g. János Hám) and liberal (e.g. Mihály Horváth) prelates alike. The minister of home affairs, Alexander Bach, who was also responsible for church politics between 1849 and 1850, considered it a matter of principle to annul the appointments that had taken place during the 1848 revolution. Until 1850, Bach's influence on appointments was decisive, and he primarily made political decisions. János Scitovszky archbishop of Esztergom also had considerable influence, and a couple of his reliable colleagues were granted an episcopal office. Bach regularly consulted Anton Geringer, and occasionally asked the opinion of Josip Jellačić as well. The way the appointment of bishops was managed was radically different from what was to come from 1851. From that year, standard competitions were announced, while the influence of Leo Thun, minister of education became decisive over the appointments.

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