CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA No. 18 
In this issue:
What Foreign Tourists Do Not See in Vilnius and Kaunas
Lithuania's Past is Being Ignored
Lithuanian Faithful in Labor Camps
Lithuania August 31, 1975
A Translation of Authentic Reports from Soviet-Occupied Lithuania
Published by the Lithuanian Roman Catholic Priests' League of America 351 Highland Boulevard Brooklyn, NY 11207
© Copyright 1978 by the Lithuanian Roman Catholic Priests'Leag of America
Printed by
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CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA No. 18
Introduction
The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, (Lietuvos Katalikų Bažnyčios Kronika) No. 18, dated August 31, 1975, opens with a brief commentary on the Helsinki Conference on European Peace and Security, which had ended on August 1:
"What good will the reknowned Helsinki Conference do us Lithuanians, when we are not even given the full text of the Final Act of Helsinki in Lithuanian—when we are not even acquainted with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international documents?"
Since May, 1975, marked the thirtieth anniversary of the end of World War II, the Chronicle takes this occasion to inform its readers of the suppression of religion which the resulting Soviet annexation brought.
This issue lists twenty-three Catholic churches in Vilnius and fourteen churches and eight chapels in Kaunas secularized. It reports that all Protestant churches in the two cities were closed by the government. Only the Orthodox churches were left open, even though they serve only a few score people.
In rebuttal to the government propaganda pamphlet on the Catholic Church in Lithuania, published for tourist and overseas consumption, the writers remind us of the government desecration of churches going on for over thirty years.
For the Russians, the History of Lithuania, which traces its place among European states to 1253, begins only with the end of Czarist Russia in 1917, the Chronicle complains. While legitimate Lithuanian historical personages such as the poet Mykolaitis-Putinas are ignored by the Soviet Authorities, vast sums of money are spent on monuments to Communist "heroes". Lithuanian toponyms in East Prussia are being deleted.
The latest issue reports on Petras Plumpa-Pluiras, Povilas Petronis, Juozas Gražys and Nijolė Sadūnaitė, sentenced to labor camp or prison in connection with the dissemination of the Chronicle and religious literature.
A new series of interrogations, searches and trials is reported, along with the fact that Mindaugas Tamonis has been confined to a psychiatric hospital for protesting in a letter to the Communist Party that neo-Stalinism was enjoying a resurgence in Lithuania.
Individuals attempting to visit relatives abroad, and religious symbols such as wayside shrines become objects of Atheistic venom.
In a letter to the editor of a local Communist paper, Father Sigitas Tamkevičius takes issue with accusations against Catholic clergy and with the dragooning of youth into Communist organizations.
In a protest addressed to the Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Father Antanas Ylius defends himself against efforts to discredit him.
Atheistic zealotry and bureaucratic interferrence with the ministry of the Church are documented in detail.
Rev. Casimir Pugevičius Translation Editor
INDEX OF PERSONS
Bagdonas, Izidorius and wife, 32 Baronienė, 34 Budriūnas, Rev. Petras, 30 Čekelis, Rimas, 16 Domaitis, Pranas, 15 Dumbliauskas, Rev. Petras, 15 Grabienė, Jadvyga, 35 Gražys, Juozas, 2, 11, 15 Jaugelis, Virgilijus, 11, 15 Jonys, Canon Jonas, 30 Keina, Rev. Algimantas, 30-31 Kleinienė, 36 Klimavičius, Ignas, 20-22 Krikščiūnas, Rev. Juozas, 28-29 Kunevičius, Rev. Lionginas, 15 Laurinkas, Leonas, 17 Matulevičius, Rev. J., 23-24 Mažeikis, 34
Naudžiūnas, Bronius, 18-19 Nykštus, Rev. Petras, 34 Pečiulaitis, Povilas, 16 Petronis, Povilas, 2, 11, 15 Plumpa, (Pluiras), Petras, 2, 11-13, 15 Sadūnaitė, Nijolė, 2, 11, 12, 13, 15, 37 Sacharov, A.D. 3, 15 Sladkevičius, Bishop Vincentas, 15 Solzhenitsyn, Andrei, 3 Stašaitis, Jonas, 11, 15 Šukys, 33-35 Švambarys, Rev. T., 24 Tamkevičius, Rev. Sigitas, 2, 15, 27 Tamonis, Mindaugas, 2, 17-18 Vitkūnaitė, Marytė, 14-15 Ylius, Rev. Antanas 2, 27-28 Žazeikis, Rev. C., 30 Zdebskis, Rev. Juozas, 15
INDEX OF PLACES
Alanta, 30 Alytus, 25-27 Anykščiai, 30 Jurbarkas, 36 Kaišiadorys, 31 Kaunas, 11, 14, 17 Kelmė, 32 Anykščiai, 30 Klaipėda, 36 Krekenava, 35 Kučiūnai, 22-23; 28-29 Laugaliai, 35-36 Lazdijai Rayon, 20 Meteliai, 20 Salos, 32-34 Šaukėnai, 24-25 Simnas, 2, 15, 23-24; 27 Šiupyliai 27-28 Šlavantai, 15 Suginčiai, 30 Valkininkai, 30-31 Videniškis, 30 Viekšniai, 35 Vilkaviškis, 15 Vilnius, 2, 16, 17, 18 Zibalai, 29-30
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