The journal Nauka i Religiya [Science and religion] 1972, no. 3, devoted twenty-three pages to Lithuania.
The head of the propaganda and agitation department of the Central Committee of the Lithuanian Communist party, P. Mišutis, presents therein a review of atheistic propaganda and Catholicism.
Lithuania has been a part of the Soviet Union for over thirty years already. The atheists have been waging a campaign against religion with "strict adherence to the Soviet laws," and they "treat the believers with respect as equal Soviet citizens" (p. 27).
The council coordinating atheistic propaganda, which is attached to the Central Committee of the Lithuanian Communist party, has now been functioning for eight years; atheistic councils or commissions function alongside the Republic's Council of Trade Unions, the Central Committee of the Young Communist League, the Ministries of Culture and Public Health, and the committees for the propagation of television, radio, the press, and films; etc. Similar councils and commissions function alongside the city and the rayon Communist party committees. Atheistic activities are headed by the Central Committee of the Lithuanian Communist party.
In 1970 alone, about 40,000 lectures were given on atheistic, philosophic, and natural science topics. Every year there are larger editions of atheistic literature. Radio and television have been a great help to atheism.
In spite of all these means at their disposal, P. Mišutis regretfully states that "comparatively speaking there are still many religious persons" (p. 30).
Mišutis classifies priests into three groups:
1) those who have left the priesthood
2) those who have become secularized
3) those who violate the Soviet laws and oppose the Soviet form of government.
"Party organizations are carefully monitoring that atheistic propaganda would not make use of administrative measures or tactlessness, or violations of the believers' rights" (p. 34).
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Nota Bene
Radio Vatican broadcasts in Lithuanian are as follows: daily—at 9:20 p.m. at the frequencies of 25 m, 31 m, and 41 m.
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