CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA, No. 62 A Translation of the Complete Lithuanian Original LIETUVOS KATALIKŲ BAŽNYČIOS KRONIKA Nr. 62 Documenting the Struggle for Human Rights In Soviet-Occupied Lithuania Today Translated by: Rev. Casimir Pugevičius Translation Editor: Marian Skabeikis Published by the Lithuanian R.C. Priests' League of America 351 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11207 ©Lithuanian Roman Catholic Priests' League of America 1984 ISSN 0197-0348 Franciscan Fathers Press .341 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11207 COVER: The Church of Ss.Peter and Paul in Vilnius. Erected in 1668, it now contains the remains of Lithuania's patron, Saint Casimir, which were transferred from Vilnius Cathedral in 1953. The cathedral is now an art gallery. CEF H R O N I C L O T H CATHOLI C H U R C H INA. LITHUANI No 62 I n t r o d u c t i o n In,netda 1940 w h e t h Sovie U n i o o c c u p i e L i t h u a n i by force, 8%fesn5 . 5 o th country' mor tha 3 millio inhabitant w e r e Roman C,%atholic 4 . 5 Protestant 7 . 3 J e w i s h 2 . 5 O r t h o d o x a n d 0.2% ofr othe persuasions. Ineosdr:8 th tw archdiocese a n fou diocese w e r e 70 c h u r c h e s , 34,5e 1 chapels 7 monasteries 8 convents t h r e archbishops, n i n e b,1n0fm8ishops 127 diocesa priests 58 monks o w h o 16 w e r e priests. Frsd0.e o u seminarie h a 47 students T h e r w e r 95 n u n s . Nsdr5,0 u n care fo 3 kindergartens 1 orphanages 2 h o m e s for te,ohdnh aged t w hospitals a y o u t c e n t e r a n a i n s t i t u t e for t h e deaf-mute. One,dyo J u n 15 1940 th Re Arm m a r c h e int L i t h u a n i a ; t h e itsdyn d e p e n d e n g o v e r n m e n wa replace b a p u p p e r e g i m e . Ony,dse.n Jul 14-15 rigge election w e r staged O Jul 21,with the Rdyge, e Arm s u r r o u n d i n th assembl h o u s e t h n e w P e o p l e ' s Dt"da i e " u n a n i m o u s l y declare L i t h u a n i a Sovie Socialist R e p u b l i c . One,hsd J u n 25 1940 th C h u r c wa d e c l a r e separat from t h e s,defytate a n th representativ o t h Hol Se wa expelled. Phse,yd aris land w e r confiscated clerg salarie a n p e n s i o n s w e r e ct,drs.eu off a n thei saving confiscated C h u r c h e w e r d e p r i v e d of s.cge, upport Catholi printin plant w e r confiscated a n d religious bs ook destroyed. One,gfnd J u n 28 1940 th teachin o religio a n recitation of psn.e rayer i school wa forbidden T h University' D e p a r t m e n t of Tyds,le heolog a n Philosoph wa abolished a n al privat schools w e r e n.estdi ationalized T h seminarie a Vilkaviški a n Telšia w e r e closed, adeytson th seminar a Kauna wa p e r m i t t e t o p e r a t e on a very ld.eynimite scale T h clerg w e r spie u p o constantly. One,0sdf J u n 15 1941 34,26 L i t h u a n i a n wer p a c k e of in cattle- csodnet.r ar t u n d i s c l o s e point i t h Sovie U n i o n Afte World War I I , tesdl h mas deportation r e s u m e an c o n t i n u e unti 1953. Vs,pfd incenta Borisevičius Bisho o Telšiai wa arreste on F e b ­ ry,dohuar 3 1946 a n c o n d e m n e t d e a t afte a secret trial. Before ys,pear' end hi auxiliary Bisho Prana Ramanauskas, was also ar­ rdo.pseste a n d e p o r t e t Siberia Bisho Teofiliu Matulionis of Kai­ šsdpf iadory a n Archbisho Mečislova Reiny o Vilniu w e r e d e p o r t e d Cefchna. hronicl o th Catholi Churc i Lithuani No 62 1 tonr.psd a Siberia labo c a m p Archbisho Reiny p e r i s h e in prison at V,r.ya ladimir N o v e m b e 8 1953 B 1947 L i t h u a n i was left with a se,f. ingl bishop Kazimiera Paltarokas o P a n e v ė ž y s H d i e d in 1958. In,etsd 1947 t h las convent a n monasterie w e r closed, their cs,dl o m m u n i t i e d i s p e r s e d a n al monasti institution w e r e o u t l a w e d Arshn,et fte Stalin' d e a t i 1953 t h e r wa a sligh i m p r o v e m e n t ines.d t h religiou situation Bishop Matulioni a n Ramanauskas w e r e adon,t llowe t retur t Lithuania b u no t minister to their dsroehy iocese o t c o m m u n i c a t wit t h clerg o laity. Bpsdn, isho Ramanauska d i e i 1959 a n Archbisho Matulionis in 1963. In,owsedy 1955 tw n e bishop w e r a p p o i n t e b R o m a n d con­ s:d. ecrated Julijona Steponavičiu a n Petra Maželis Steponavičius hsrndo a n e v e b e e p e r m i t t e t a d m i n i s t e hi diocese. Bps,dn isho Vincenta Sladkevičius c o n s e c r a t e i 1957 was kept uretsl.n n d e sever g o v e r n m e n restriction unti 1982 I 1965, Monsignor Jsdneuoza Labukas-Matulaiti wa c o n s e c r a t e i R o m to h e a d the Aefsd rchdioces o Kauna a n t h Dioces o Vilkaviškis. T w o n e w bsedn:pishop w e r consecrate i 1969 Bisho R o m u a l d a s Krikščiū­ nsdcrfe a wa a p p o i n t e Apostoli Administrato o th D i o c e s e of P a n e ­ v,dps ėžys a n Bisho Liudvika Poviloni wa a p p o i n t e d auxiliary to Bp,dmrshn isho Labukas a n s u c c e e d e h i afte hi d e a t i 1979. In,psdo 1982 Bisho Sladkevičiu wa p e r m i t t e t return to his descrf. i o c e s a Apostoli Administrato o Kaišiadorys F a t h e r Antanas Vsdpcr aičiu wa n a m e b i s h o a n Apostoli Administrato of t h e D i o c e s e ofidef Telšia a n t h P r e l a t u r o Klaipėda. Rnfes elaxatio o p r e s s u r o religiou believer soo r e v e a l e d that tenly. h L i t h u a n i a p e o p l w e r stil d e e p l religious I was d e c i d e d in teso.l h mid-fiftie t r e s u m th attack T h principa m e a n s of attack wdel, o u l b u n l i m i t e mora pressure sinc physica terror s e e m e d oynde nl t strengthe a n unif th faithful. In,efn 1972 t h Chronicle o the Catholic Church i Lithuania, cydnt,ohlandestinel p u b l i s h e i tha country b e g a t reac the free world atr.ydop irregula intervals Primaril i n t e n d e t k e e Catholics in Lithu­ adfenh, ni informe o t h situatio o th C h u r c t h e r e t h e s e L i t h u a n i a n oestlamizdat als serv a a constan a p p e a t t h free world not totefg forge th pligh o a p e o p l strugglin against overwhelm­ igsodrn odd t d e f e n thei religiou belief a n t regain their bcnasi h u m a rights.