1) Rūpintojėlis (Suffering Christ). Issue No. 5 was published in May. The article "The February 16th Declaration" writes: "The period after February 16th when the Lithuanian state was established is the brightest era in the history of the Lithuanian nation. Nothing will dim it—neither attempts to erase it from Lithuanian history nor the efforts of those who serve foreign gods to debase and disdain it." The article's author fears that currently the morality of Lithuanians has been seriously undermined in occupied Lithuania and that this is leading the nation to perdition. " . . .arresting and reversing the decline of the nation's morality ... is a matter of life and death which will determine whether the nation will live or die." The article stresses that religion is the most important buttress of morality.
In the article "What is the Root of Evil", K. Aušrys relates the sad statistics of moral decay. In 1940, the per capita consumption of alcohol in Lithuania was 0.8 liters (4/5 quart), while now it is up to 17 liters (4 1/2 gals.).. . About 22,000 chronic alcoholics are receiving treatment. In the opinion of Lithuania's psychiatrists, only one third of all alcoholics is being treated. Prior to 1940, between 107 and 250 murders were committed in Lithuania; now, 4,000-5,000 people are murdered every year in Soviet Lithuania. The crime rate among the youth is rising steadily. Before Soviet times, about 15,000 abortions were performed annually in Lithuania, now they number around 60,000. Every year between 9,000 and 10,000 marriages break up, prisons are overcrowded, as are venereal disease clinics. "Excessive drunkenness shows that, under the Soviet system, man experiences a difficult spiritual crisis." The author suggests that we turn to religion and fight to our utmost against alcoholism in order to save the fatherland.
Issue No. 5 shows that the publication's articles are markedly more current, for which readers will certainly be grateful to the publishers of Rūpintojėlis.
2) Tiesos Kelias (Way of Truth). Issue No. 8 of Tiesos Kelias was published at the end of April and is devoted for the most part to the religious instruction of children.
3) Dievas ir Tėvynė (God and Country). Issue No. 7 contains many important articles which show that the root of all of Lithuania's misfortunes is atheist Marxism. Many distressing, but accurate remarks are aimed at the bishops of Lithuania.
4) Aušrelė (Little Dawn). Issue No. 1 of Aušrelė made its appearance on February 16, 1978. The first page contains the following dedication: "To Laisvės Šauklys (Herald of Freedom), smothered by the security police." The publication's articles are national in theme, current, urging all to join forces in fighting against the nation's common enemy.
The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania wishes the publishers of Aušrelė, with God's blessing, a long and fruitful existence in awakening the Lithuanian's national and religious awareness.
5) Aušra (Dawn). Issue No. 10 of Aušra was published at the
beginning of April.
CORRECTIONS
The editors of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania have received a letter from a reader stating "Issue No. 28 of the Chronicle contains an article entitled "Problems of Religious Life in Lithuania and the Soviet Union." It gives a thorough picture of the difficult Calvary travelled by the Catholic Church in countries governed by the Soviet Union. The article contains many bright, uplifting and optimistic ideas which point out how the Catholic Church can act, even under the direst circumstances. However, the sentence "The newly appointed bishops are currently devoting all their energies to their ministry" is inconsistent with reality. I respect the bishops and want to speak only good things about them, but certain historical facts with which I am well acquainted, atheist responses to their diocesan activity, and their own statements to the Soviet and foreign press will not permit my conscience to agree with the concept expressed in the abovmentioned sentence in the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania.
The publishers of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania agree that there is sufficient foundation for the above remarks.
Fellow Lithuanians, Don't Forget!
P.(etras) Plumpa, N.(ijolė) Sadūnaitė, S.(ergei) Kovalev, O.(na) Pranskūnaitė, V.(ladas) Lapienis, B.(alys) Gajauskas, V.(iktoras) Petkus and others who bear the shackles of prison so that you may freely live and believe!
