INTRODUCTION (Bishop Jonas Boruta SJ) 5
Part I
THE ORIGIN AND THE AIMS OF THE
LIETUVOS KATALIKŲ BAŽNYČIOS KRONIKA
(The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania)
1. Situation of the Catholic Church in Lithuania in Soviet Times 7
2. The Resistance of the Church 25
Part II
EDITORS OF "THE CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH IN LITHUANIA" ABOUT PUBLISHING AND STAFF
1. Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania
(Archbishop Sigitas Tamkevicius SJ) 43
2. Lord, What a Blessing That You Allowed
(Bishop Jonas Boruta SJ) 66
Part III
KGB STRUGGLE AGAINST KRONIKA IN LITHUANIA AND IN THE WEST
1. Watching the Kronika 73
Kronika in the World and Aims of KGB Observation 75
The Main Directions of Observation 77
Methods and Measures of Spying on the Kronika 80
2. Methods and Measures for Fighting against Kronika 90
Discreditation 94
Repression 97
3. Struggle against Kronika in the West 103
Name list 109
Book in PDF: 
Photography copy of book: 
The founder and editor of Lietuvos Katalikų Bažnyčios Kronika
Rev. Sigitas Tamkevičius SJ in exile in Krivoshein, the Tomsk region. 1988
This book describes events which took place 10-30 years ago in the Church of the small, little known country of Lithuania. This country, which has shared the tradition of Christian faith with Europe for 600 years, lived in difficult conditions of persecution for 50 years in the twentieth century when every day anyone who treasured the faith had to be on guard and willing to fight if he wanted to preserve this faith in his heart. We clearly felt then that the stern words from the first Epistle of the Apostle Peter - "Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Pt 5, 8-9) - were not frightening rhetoric written in the spirit of old times, but the painful reality of current life.
The author of the Holy Scripture addressed these words to the persecuted Christians of the first centuries, but also consoled and showed the way for Christians oppressed by the totalitarian anti-Christian dictatorships of the XX century. Putting it in today's language, this text urged us to realize that sharing information about the on-going persecutions and challenges of the faith with people of good will from all over the world was a weapon and support for those persecuted and the defenders of the faith.
From this understanding the idea for the underground publishing of the Lietuvos Katalikų Bažnyčios Kronika arose in 1972.
The Kronika wrote about the difficulties experienced by the believers not only in Lithuania but also in other Soviet republics, such as Ukraine, Moldavia, Byelorussia, Kazakhstan, Siberia... Christian brothers and sisters of different nations shared their difficult experiences in defending the faith in the pages of the Kronika. They shared them not only with the persecuted but also with the people of the free world. I think that this sharing was useful and beneficial for all. It was not only such in the past, but can also be useful today. In presenting the longer Lithuanian language version of this book to the public, Archbishop of Kaunas Sigitas Tamkevičius wrote: "I would really like that this book would not only tell the reader about the not so distant past, but also awaken responsibility for today's and tomorrow's Church." I would also like to wish the same to all who will turn the pages of this book. Let the experience of the believers from the small little-known country - Lithuania - help you not only to understand the origin and current mental features of Lithuanians who are knocking on the doors of the European Union but also let it be a support defending the faith and Christian virtues as are the difficulties endured in the times of persecutions in other ages. I believe that today they are necessary and irreplacable everywhere.
Bishop Jonas Boruta SJ
Secretary-General of the Conference
of Bishops of Lithuania
Algimantas Žilinskas(pseudonym of Vidas Spengla)
was bom in 1934 and received university degrees in engineering and philosophy-theology. In his spare time in the 1980-1990s he also studied the history of technology in Lithuania, writing several books on the subject. In the last decade he also investigated the situation of the Catholic Church in Lithuania in the period of Soviet rule: its persecution and fight for the rights and freedoms of believers. On this subject he has written the books: "Akipleša". KGB kova pries Baznycią" ["Scoundrel". The KGB Fight against the Church"] (1996) about Rev. Juozas Zdebskis, "Atlike pareigą" [Having Fulfilled Their Duties] (1997) about the repressed Catholic bishops of Lithuania, "LKB Kronika XI" (1997) about "The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania", and "Baznyčia, "Kronika" ir KGB voratinklis" [The Church, the "Kronika" and the KGB Spider's Web"] (2001). He also contributed to books about other defenders of the Church: writing about Sister Nijole Sadūnaitė in her book "Skubekime daryti gera" [Let Us Hurry to Do Good], "Mylėti artimą" [Love Your Neighbor] etc. Many of his article have been published in the press of Lithuania as well as in publications in Poland. This is his first work in English.
During the whole Soviet occupation (1940-1990) the Catholic Church in Lithuania was being persecueted and destropyed. The Church resist all the time: it fought for the preservation of faith and morality in the nation, for human rights and freedom. One of the methods used in the fight was the "Lietuvos Katalikų Bažnyčios Kronika" (The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania) which was oublished undeground from 1972.
It was secretly send to the West, reprinted by Lithuanians living there, translated into other languages, and distributed throughour the world. The news items of the "Kronika" reported by the press of the free world and broadcast by radio stations revaled not only the fight of the Soviet Union against the Church in Lithuania, but also the whole truth about its "democraty and freedom".
The KGB did not succeed in destroying the "Kronika". It continued to be publicshed until the dawnfall of the Soviet empire. The "Kronika" made an important contribution not only to liberation from communism, but also the destruction of the whole "evil empire" (Ronald Reagan) and the fight for human rights and freedom in the whole world.
The Church, the Kronika,
and the KGB web
UDK 282(474.5)(093) Sp21
Parts I and III written by
Vidas Spengla
Part II written by
Archbishop Sigitas Tamkevicius
and Bishop Jonas Boruta
Translated into English by
Saulius Girnius
Edited by
Vidas Spengla
The publication of the book was supported by
Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania
ISBN 9986-592-35-6
© Algimantas Žilinskas, 2002
© Publishing house KATALIKŲ AKADEMIJA
Spengla, Vidas
Kr343 The Church, the "Kronika" and the KGB web. Introduction, pp. 5-6, by Bishop Jonas Boruta. - Vilnius: Publishing house KATALIKŲ AKADEMIJA.
2002. - 112 p., illustrationes.
ISBN 9986-592-35-6
Relying on documents from archives and the recollections of the editors of the Kronika, the book reveals many facts about the difficult situation of the Catholic Church in Lithuania in the years of Soviet oppression and about the opposition to the persecution of Communist Party and Soviet Security Commitee. It discusses the Catholic opposition movement and especialy difficult and dangerous work of the organizers and distributors of the underground periodical "The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania", which made an important contribution to the emancipation of the nation from Communism.
UDK 282(474.5)(093) Sp21
Editor
dr. Saulius Girnius
Layout
Giedrius Kubilius
Artist
Audronė Martinaitytė
Printed in Lithuania by
AB „VILSPA", Viršuliškių. skg. 80, 2056 Vilnius
NAME LIST
Aliulis Vaclovas, Rev. 13, 66,
Ambrasas Konstantinas, Msgr. 47,
Ambrasas Kazimieras, Rev. 47, 48, 100,
Antanaitis Bronius, Canon 62, 93,
Anušauskas Arvydas 8, 9,
Babonas Jonas, Rev. 93,
Babrauskas Boleslovas, Rev. 89,
Bačkis Audrys Juozas, Cardinal 32,
Bakučionis Jurgis 60,
Baltinas Edmundas 104,
Bartašiūnas Juozas 23,
Basanavičius Jonas 59,
Beišyte Veronika, Sister 84, 88,
Biekša 88,
Bieliauskiene Jadvyga 84, 88, 99,
Bobkov F. 95,
Borisevičius Vincentas, Bishop 15, 16, 20, 33,
Boruta Jonas, Bishop 4, 6, 12, 41, 62, 64, 65, 66, 87,
Brezhnev Leonid 39,
Brilius Jurgis 44,
Briliūtė Birutė, Sister 51, 4, 71, 87, 101, 102,
Brizgys Vincentas, Bishop 8,
Bubnys Prosperas, Rev. 38, 45, 74,
Buliauskas Jonas, Rev. 82, 83, 84, 88,
Buzas Povilas 51, 60, 61, 84, 86, 99,
Čekanauskaite, Sister 84,
Čekanaviciūte, Sister 88,
Cicenaitė Nijolė, Sister 74,
Dainauskaitė Eugenija 54,
Damušyte (Damušis) Gintė 72,
Danyla Jonas, Rev. 45, 66,
Degutis Vaclovas, Rev. 92,
Dilys Albertas 88,
Dovidaitis Gvidonas, Canon 68, 73, 92,
Dovydaitis Pranas 71,
Dudko Dmitrii 64, 79,
Dranginytė Ona, Sister 65,
Dumbliauskas Albinas, Rev. 38,
Dumbliauskas Petras, Rev. 69, 73, 82,
Gaškaitė Nijolė 9,
Gavėnaite Monika, Sister 54,
Girdzevicius Jonas, Rev. 93,
Girnius Saulius 4,
Gladkov Petr 8,
Gorbachev Mikhail 25, 71,
Gražulis Antanas, Rev. 69, 72, 86, 102,
Gražys Juozas 51, 97,
Grigas Robertas, Rev. 90, 102,
Griškevicius Petras 84,
Gustaitis Pranas, Rev. 16,
Ivanauskas Jonas 97,
Jagminas Leonardas, Rev. 66,
Jakštas 63,
Jalbrzykowski Romuald, Archbishop 8,
Jankus Martynas 59,
Janulis Anastazas 51, 60, 61, 84, 86, 88, 99, 101,
Jatulis Paulius, Rev. 104, 107,
Jaugelis Virgilijus, Rev. 60, 62, 84, 93, 97, 98, 100,
John Paul II, Pope 24, 91, 105,
Jokubauskas Antanas, Rev. 93, 104, 107,
Jokubauskis Stanislovas, Msgr. 22,
Judikeviciute Janina, Sister 65,
Jurevičius Macislovas 99,
Juškauskaitė Julija 54,
Kairelis Alfonsas 74,
Kalinauskas Leonas, Msgr. 61, 97,
Kapitanchyuk Viktor 60, 64, 79,
Karosas Antanas, Bishop 15, 16,
Katilius Algimantas 12,
Kauneckas Jonas, Bishop 40, 42, 59, 62, 64, 91, 94, 97,
Kavaliauskaitė Ona Virginija, Sister 51, 60, 64, 71, 101, 102,
Kazlauskas Vytautas, Msgr. 75, 76, 105, 107, 108,
Keina Algimantas, Rev. 61, 64, 82, 83,
Kelpša Saulius 68,
Kharazov Valerii 75,
Khrushchev Nikita 21, 30, 43,
Kolgov 52,
Kovalev Sergei 44, 48, 50, 51, 52, 79, 98, 100,
Krasauskas Rapolas, Rev. 104, 107,
Kriaučiūnaitė 88,
Kulikauskas Boleslovas 97,
Kunevičius Lionginas, Rev. 59, 69, 73, 80, 89, 100,
Kuodytė Julija, Sister 65, 68, 74,
Kurtinaitytė, Sister 84,
Kuzminskas Kazimieras, Rev. 75, 76, 108,
Labergue, Rev. 31,
Labukas Juozapas, Bishop 52, 53, 92, 93, 104, 107,
Lapė Alfonsas, Rev. 43,
Lapienis Vladas 51, 54, 85, 86, 88, 89, 98, 100, 102, 103,
Laukaitytė Regina 11,
Laurinavičius Bronius, Rev. 22, 46, 83,
Lauriūnas Jonas, Rev. 62, 66, 70, 74, 82, 100,
Lavut Aleksandr 48, 50, 51, 86,
Lenga Paul, Bishop 12,
Louis St. 31,
Lumbienė Janina 88,
Mačiokaitė, Sister 84,
Maliskaite Bernadeta, Sister 51, 60, 64, 71, 101, 102,
Mareyev V 105,
Martušis Stasys, Rev. 22,
Masilionis Pranciškus, Rev. 29,
Matulevičius Juozas, Rev. 45,
Matulionis Jonas Kastytis, Rev. 54, 62, 83, 84, 89, 98, 102, 103,
Matulionis Teofilis, Archbishop 14, 15, 16, 20, 22, 25, 29, 31, 33,
Mažeika Leonas, Rev. 22,
Maželis Petras, Bishop 24,
Merkys Vytautas, Rev. 66,
Meškauskaitė Donata, Sister 61,
Mincevičius Vincentas, Msgr. 75, 76,
Molotov Viačeslav 7,
Našlėnas Petras, Rev. 62,
Navickaitė Genovaitė, Sister 45, 51, 61, 84, 86, 99,
Padolskis Vincentas, Bishop 8,
Paliauskaitė, Sister 84,
Paltarokas Kazimieras, Bishop 15, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31, 33,
Patriubavičius Adolfas 97, 98,
Paulavičiūtė Loreta, Sister 89,
Peter, St., Apostle 5, 26,
Petkevičius Juozas 77, 82, 94, 95, 96,
Petronis Paulius 29, 30, 51, 52, 74, 83, 84, 97, 98,
Pilelis Vytautas 51, 52, 64,
Pius XII, Pope 31,
Plumpa Petras 30, 39, 45, 51, 52, 74, 79, 80, 83, 97, 98, 101,
Polianskii Igor 10, 30, 35,
Pošiūnaitė Antanina, Sister 74,
Pugevičius Kazimieras, Rev. 50, 75, 76,
Pušinis Bronius 31, 33, 35,
Račiūnas Pranas, Rev. 31, 39, 59, 62, 66, 73, 82, 94, 100,
Radzevičius Juozas 107,
Rainys Raimondas 51,
Ramanauskas Pranciškus, Bishop 14, 16, 20, 25, 33,
Raškinis Arimantas 44,
Ratkevičius 88,
Razbickas Algimantas 97,
Ražukas Boleslovas, Rev. 62,
Reagan Ronald, President 25,
Ribbentrop Joachim 7,
Rimkus Antanas 52,
Rugienis Justas 14, 38, 93,
Rutelionytė Julija, Sister 84, 88,
Sadūnaitė Nijolė, Sister 49, 51, 52, 61, 64, 70, 71, 87, 90, 98, 101, 102,
Sakavičius Gintas, Rev. 102,
Sakavičius Vytas, Rev. 102,
Sakharov Andrei, Academician 53,
Šapoka Leonas, Rev. 22,
Šarakauskaitė Ona, Sister 71, 101, 102,
Saulaitis Antanas, Rev. 72,
Šeškevičius Antanas, Rev. 38, 45, 74,
Skuodis Vytautas 61,
Skvireckas Juozapas, Archbishop 8,
Sladkevičius Vincentas, Cardinal 14, 26, 33, 40, 44, 45, 83,
Šliūpas Jonas 59,
Sniečkus Antanas 12, 13, 35, 38, 91,
Šomkaitė Rožė 49, 50,
Šostakaitė Bronė 89,
Šostakaitė Ona 89,
Spengla Vidas 3, 4, 99,
Stakėnas Vaclovas, Rev. 61,
Stalin (Džiugašvili) Josif 30, 31, 43,
Stanelytė Gema Jadvyga, Sister 29, 50, 61, 74, 88, 99,
Stankevičius Juozapas, Canon 23, 24, 29,
Stašaitis Jonas 30, 51, 52, 74, 80, 89, 97, 98,
Statkevicius Algirdas 90,
Steponavičius Julijonas, Archbishop 14, 24, 26, 33, 40, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 72, 83, 95,
Steponavičiūte Teklė, Sister 65,
Streikus Arunas 7,
Šuliauskaite Elena, Sister 48, 53, 54, 64, 67, 71, 87, 101, 102,
Šumauskas Motiejus 23,
Sužiedėlis Bernardas, Msgr. 33,
Svarinskas Alfonsas, Msgr. 40, 42, 49, 59, 62, 63, 64, 66, 68, 73, 80, 83, 84, 89, 91, 94, 97, 99, 100, 102, 104, 107,
Tamkevičius Sigitas, Archbishop 2, 4, 5, 35, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 72, 73, 74, 79, 80, 82, 83, 86, 87, 89, 91, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99, 102,
Tulaba Ladas, Msgr. 104, 107,
Urbonas Vytautas 64,
Vaičiūnas Vytautas, 48, 61, 80, 83, 84, 86, 87, 95, 96, 99, 101,
Vaigauskas Henrikas 107,
Vardys Vytautas S. 8,
Vasiliauskas Kazimieras, Msgr. 89,
Vazgelevičiūte Bronė, Sister 49, 67, 70, 71, 87,
Vėlavičius Vincentas, Msgr. 40, 42, 59,
Velikanova Tatjana 48, 50, 79,
Veprauskas Jonas 84,
Vitkauskaitė Ona, Sister 51, 60, 61, 84, 86, 99,
Vizgirda Vincentas, Canon 33,
Yakumn Gleb 48, 50, 59, 61, 64, 79,
Zdebskis Juozas, Rev. 22, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 42, 44, 45, 59, 61, 62, 68, 73, 74, 79, 80, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 100, 104, 107,
Zvezdenkov V. 96,
Žemaitis Romas 102,
Žemenas Kazimieras, Rev. 62,
Žilinskas Algimantas 4,
Žitkus Kazimieras (pseudonym - Stonis Vincas), Msgr. 43,
Žygas Arvydas, Rev. 108,
