THE RECOGNITION OF ISLAM IN THE HUNGARIAN LAW OF 1916 (XVII): DOCUMENTS FROM THE VATICAN ARCHIVES

This article aims to reconstruct the reception of Act XVII adopted by the Hungarian Parliament in 1916, which brought about the legal recognition of Islam, from the stance of the Holy See of Rome. The research is based on archival material preserved at the Vatican Archives, namely letters exchanged between the Nunziature of Vienna and the Holy See, which are published and translated here. The presentation of so far unpublished material provides an opportunity to follow the growing understanding of the contents and background of this law; the key points of interest of the Catholic Church in this matter are identified; while lexical references seek to shed light on the perceptions of Islam.