Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe Volume 9 Issue 4 Article 2 7-1989 A Word of Solidarity, A Call for Justice: A Statement on Religious Freedom in Eastern Europe an the Soviet Union Unknown Authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree Part of the Christianity Commons, and the Eastern European Studies Commons Recommended Citation Authors, Unknown (1989) "A Word of Solidarity, A Call for Justice: A Statement on Religious Freedom in Eastern Europe an the Soviet Union," Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 9 : Iss. 4 , Article 2. Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol9/iss4/2 This Article, Exploration, or Report is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. A WORD OF SOLIDARITY, A CALL FOR JUSTICE: A STATEMENT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN EASTERN EUROPE AND THE SOVIET UNION United States Catholic Conference November 17, 1988 The Church in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union today is a church of many realities. There is the particularly tragic memory of Bishop Ernest Coba of Albania, murdered by prison authorities for celebrating a Mass with a few other inmates in his cell in contravention of prison regulations on Easter Day, 1979. In Czechoslovakia in 1988 there is the case of Augustin Navratil, a Catholic layman and father of nine, who has been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric clinic for responding to newspaper criticisms of his widely supported 31-point petition for religious rights.