Read this and pass it on! Appearing since 1972
This issue is dedicated to prisoners of conscience and political prisoners Anastazas Janulis and Vytautas Vaičiūnas on their return from the Gulag.
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA, No. 60 
In this issue:
1. The Catholic Committee for the Defense of Believers'
Rights Marks the Fifth Anniversary of its Establishment
2. Greetings from the Faithful of Lithuania to Pope John Paul II
on His Twenty-five Years as a Bishop
3. Persecution of the Church in Lithuania Stedily Intensifies,
Unrest in the Nation Steadily Grows
4. The Protests Do Not Diminish
5. The Persecuted Church of Lithuania Prays More and More Fervently
6. We Are Grateful for Their Sacrifice!
7. It Is Impossible to Sentence the Truth
Lithuania November 1, 1983
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA, No. 60
A Translation of the Complete Lithuanian Original LIETUVOS KATALIKŲ BAŽNYČIOS KRONIKA Nr. 60 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
This issue made possible, in part, by the generous gift of JOSEPH W. SALINIS Detroit, Michigan
Franciscan Fathers Press 341 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11207
COVER:
A clandestine holy card disseminated throughout Lithuania following the arrest of Catholic Committee member, Father Alfonsas Svarinskas, the first priest to be sentenced for religious activity in a decade in that predominantly Roman Catholic Republic. The inscription reads, "For Church and Country. Father Alfonsas Svarinskas. First term — 1946 - 1956. Ordained in Abez special regime camp on October 3, 1954. Second term — 1958 - 1964. Third arrest — January 26, 1983
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA No. 60
Introduction
In 1940, when the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania by force, 85.5% of the country's more than 3 million inhabitants were Roman Catholic, 4.5% Protestant, 7.3% Jewish, 2.5% Orthodox and 0.2% of other persuasions.
In the two archdioceses and four dioceses were: 708 churches, 314 chapels, 73 monasteries, 85 convents, three archbishops, nine bishops, 1271 diocesan priests, 580 monks, of whom 168 were priests. Four seminaries had 470 students. There were 950 nuns.
Nuns cared for 35 kindergartens, 10 orphanages, 25 homes for the aged, two hospitals, a youth center, and an institute for the deaf-mute.
On June 15, 1940, the Red Army marched into Lithuania; the independent government was replaced by a puppet regime.
On July 14-15, rigged elections were staged. On July 21, with the Red Army surrounding the assembly house, the new People's Diet "unanimously" declared Lithuania a Soviet Socialist Republic.
On June 25, 1940, the Church was declared separate from the state, and the representative of the Holy See was expelled.
Parish lands were confiscated, clergy salaries and pensions were cut off, and their savings confiscated. Churches were deprived of support. Catholic printing plants were confiscated, and religious books destroyed.
On June 28, 1940, the teaching of religion and recitation of prayers in schools was forbidden. The University's Department of Theology and Philosophy was abolished, and all private schools were nationalized. The seminaries at Vilkaviškis and Telšiai were closed, and the seminary at Kaunas was permitted to operate on a very limited scale. The clergy were spied upon constantly.
On June 15, 1941, 34,260 Lithuanians were packed off in cattle-cars to undisclosed points in the Soviet Union. After World War II, the mass deportations resumed and continued until 1953.
Vincentas Borisevičius, Bishop of Telšiai, was arrested on February 3, 1946, and condemned to death after a secret trial. Before year's end, his auxiliary, Bishop Pranas Ramanauskas, was also arrested and deported to Siberia. Bishop Teofilius Matulionis of Kaišiadorys and Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys of Vilnius were deported to a Siberian labor camp. Archbishop Reinys perished in prison at Vladimir, November 8, 1953. By 1947, Lithuania was left with a single bishop, Kazimieras Paltarokas, of Panevėžys. He died in 1958.
In 1947, the last convents and monasteries were closed, their communities dispersed, and all monastic institutions were outlawed.
After Stalin's death in 1953, there was a slight improvement in the religious situation. Bishops Matulionis and Ramanauskas were allowed to return to Lithuania, but not to minister to their dioceses or to communicate with the clergy or laity.
Bishop Ramanauskas died in 1959, and Archbishop Matulionis in 1963.
In 1955, two new bishops were appointed by Rome and consecrated: Julijonas Steponavičius and Petras Maželis. Steponavičius has never been permitted to administer his diocese.
Bishop Vincentas Sladkevičius, consecrated in 1957, was kept under severe government restrictions until 1982. In 1965, Monsignor Juozas Labukas-Matulaitis was consecrated in Rome to head the Archdiocese of Kaunas and the Diocese of Vilkaviškis. Two new bishops were consecrated in 1969: Bishop Romualdas Krikščiūnas was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Panevėžys, and Bishop Liudvikas Povilonis was appointed auxiliary to Bishop Labukas, and succeeded him after his death in 1979.
In 1982, Bishop Sladkevičius was permitted to return to his diocese as Apostolic Administrator of Kaišiadorys. Father Antanas Vaičius was named bishop and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Telšiai and the Prelature of Klaipėda.
Relaxation of pressure on religious believers soon revealed that the Lithuanian people were still deeply religious. It was decided in the mid-fifties to resume the attack. The principal means of attack would be unlimited moral pressure, since physical terror seemed only to strengthen and unify the faithful.
In 1972, the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, clandestinely published in that country, began to reach the free world at irregular intervals. Primarily intended to keep Catholics in Lithuania informed of the situation of the Church there, these Lithuanian samizdat also serve as a constant appeal to the free world not to f o r g e t the plight of a people struggling against overwhelming odds to defend their religious beliefs and to regain their basic human rights.
Rev. Casimir Pugevičius Editor
INDEX OF PERSONS
Adomonis, Petras, 21 Albavičius, Jonas, 17 Aleksiūnas, Jonas, 17 Andriukaitis, 49 Andropov, Yuri, 16, 18 Anilionis, Petras, 8, 9, 10, 11, 56 Antanavičius, Father Juozas, 22 Antonaitis, Canon Bronius, 21 Arlauskas, Vincentas, 21
Babonas, Jonas, 17 Babonas, Mindaugas, 33 Bačkaitienė, Romutė, 50 (Bačkaitis), Vaclovas, 50 Bagdonas, 48 Bagdonas, Jonas, 21 Bagdonas, Juozas, 21 Bakučionis, Jurgis, 36, 41 Balaiša, Bronius, 21 Balaišius, Antanas, 21 Balas suskas, Vytautas, 21 Balčiūnas, Jonas, 21 Balčiūnas, Juozas, 21 Balickaitis, Jurgis, 21 Baliūnas, Feliksas, 17 Balsys, Kostas, 21 Baltuška, Petras, 21 Baniulis, Algis, 21 Baranauskas, Bishop, 15 Baronas, Kazys, 21 Bartulis, Eugenijus, 17 Bastijokaitė, (Miss), 57 Bastys, Pranciškus, 17 Baumila, Vidmantas, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 Beran, Cardinal, 13 Besusparis, 57 Bieliauskienė, Jadvyga, 33, 37, 38, 59 Bilbokas, Antanas, 44 Blynas, Laimingas-Feliksas, 21 Borisevičius, Bishop Vincentas, 1, 15 Braukyla, Valdas, 21 Brazdžionis, Bernardas, 35, 38 Brievė, Adolfas, 21 Briliūtė, Birutė, 41, 42 Briliūtė, Lina, 40, 41 Bruskokas, Viktoras, 17 Bubnys, Prosperas, 17 Budriūnas, Petras, 21 Buliauskas, Jonas, 21 Bulotas, Alfonsas, 17 Buožius, Mykolas, 17 Butkus, Izidorius, 17 Butkys, Jonas, 21
Chernenko, Konstantin, 17 Čižikas, Petras, 49, 50 Čegelskis, Father Boleslovas, 57 Čepėnas, Juozas, 17 Česnienė, (Mrs.), 42 Čiučkis, Povilas, 21
Daknevičius, Kęstutis, 17 Danyla, Antanas, 17 Dauborienė, (Mrs.) 57 David, 6 Dobilaitis, Juozas, 17 Dobrovolskis, Mykolas, 17 Donelaitis, K., 44 Dubnikas, Juozas, 21 Dulksnys, Msgr. Kazimieras, 12, 21 Dunda, Gerardas, 17
Fedorchenko, S.M., 53
Gaivelis, 57 Gaižauskas, Pranciškus, 17 Gaižutis, Bronislavas, 17 Gajauskas, Balys, 55, 59 Galvydis, Steponas, 21 Garška, Juozas, 21 Gaščiūnas, Canon, 56 Giedraitis, Bishop, 15 Giedraitis, Juozas, 21 Gimžauskas, Bronislavas, 17 Girdzevičius, Jonas, 17 Girnius, Kazimieras, 21 Glaveckaitė (Glaveckas), Asta, 43 Glaveckaitė (Glaveckas), Edita, 43 Gloksnys, 33 Gobis, Antanas, 21 Goethe, 34 Goliath, 6 Gražulis, Father Antanas, 41 Gražys, Alfonsas, 21 Griganavičius, Vytautas, 17 Grinevičius, Zigmas, 17 Griškaitienė, Ona, 44, 45 Griškaitytė, Stasė, 45 Griškevičius, Petras, 8, 33 Gruodis, Stanislovas, 17 Gružauskas, Antanas, 21 Grudienė, (Mrs.), 28 Gudanavičius, Gustavas, 17 Gutauskas, Father Antanas, 12 Gutauskas, Klemensas, 22 Gylys, Mykolas, 21
Iešmantas, Gintautas, 55, 59 Ikamas, Gaudentas, 22 Imbras, Antanas, 17 Indriūnas, Juozas, 17 Inkratas, Vincas, 22 Ivanovskis, Tadas, 22
Jagminas, Leonardas, 17 Jakaitis, Kleopas, 17 Jalinskas, Father Vincas, 39, 40 Jančys, Alfonsas, 22 Jankevičius, Povilas, 22 Jankus, 57 Janulis Anastazas, 3, 29, 30, 31, 32, 55 Janulis, Juozas, 22 Jasiūnas, Vytautas, 22 Jaškūnas, Henrikas, 55 Jašmontaitė, Stefanija, 50 Jatulis, Jonas, 22 Jaugelienė, Monika, 45, 46 Jaugelis, Father Virgilijus, 45, 46 Jokubauskas, Antanas, 17 Jokubauskas, Eugenijus, 17 Jokubauskas, Father Antanas, 25 Juodelis, Jonas, 22 Juozėnas, Povilas, 22 Jurevičius, Mečislovas, 59 Jurgaitis, Jonas, 22 Jurgutis, Antanas, 17 Juška, Antanas, 22 Juška, Arvydas, 58 Juškevičius, 28
Kadžius, Alfonsas, 22 Kairys, Antanas, 22 Kaknevičius, Juozas, 17 Kalinauskas, Father Leonas, 6,17,25, 28 Kapočius, Vytautas, 22 Karaliūtė, Aušra, 43 Katinas, Juozapas, 17 Kauneckas, Father Jonas, 4, 5, 14 Kavaliauskaitė, (Miss), 57 Kavaliauskaitė, Ona, 42 Kavaliauskas, 27 Kazėnas, Stanislovas, 22 Kazlauskas, Antanas, 17 Kazlauskas, Jonas, 14 Kelmelienė, Dana, 47, 48 Kelmelis, Antanas, 47, 48 Kelpšas, Saulius, 46 Kareišis, Gintas, 45 Keršulis, Lionginas, 22 Kiela, Petras, 22 Kietis, Antanas, 22 Kisielius, Anicetas, 22 Klezys, Povilas, 22 Ko vale v, Sergei, 59 Krasauskas, Petras, 22 Kremenskas, Vladas, 22 Krikščiūnas, Bishop Romualdas, 2,25 Krumpliauskas, Stanislovas, 22 Kudirka, Simas, 55 Kuviliauskytė, Miss, 49 Kuzmickas, Petras, 22
Labakojis, Jonas, 22 Labukas-Matulaitis, Bishop Juozas, 2, 25 Lapė, Alfonsas, 17 Lapienis, Vladas, 55 Lapinskas, 58 Lapinskas, Jonas, 22 Liesis, Antanas, 22 Lileika, Antanas, 17 Liubonas, Petras, 17 Liubšys, Father Antanas, 40, 41 Liukas, Rapolas, 18 Lukšas, Juozas, 22 Lukšas, Leonas, 22 Luzgauskas, Vladas, 18
Macevičius, Romualdas, 18 Mačiuilaitienė, Nastutė, 42 Mačiūta, Petras, 18 Maleckis, Juozas, 18 Maliskaitė, Bernadeta, 42 Mališkienė, Matilda, 42 Marcinkevičius, J., 38, 39, 40, 42, 43 Markaitis, Aleksandras, 18 Markevičius, Petras, 22 Marozas, Vytautas, 22 Martinkus, Petras, 18 Masalskis, 47 Masys, Aleksandras, 22 Masys, Vytautas, 22 Matulaitis, Archbishop Jurgis, 15 Matulaitis, Pranciškus, 18 Matulionis, Bishop Teofilius, 1, 2, 15 Matulionis, Father Jonas, 23 Matulis, Juozapas, 18 Maželis, Bishop Petras, 2
Meilus, Petras, 18 Menčinskienė, (Mrs.), 42 Merkevičius, 57 Meškenas, 57 Mickevičius, Juozas, 45 Mikulėnas, Antanas, 22 Mikutavičius, Ričardas, 18 Mikutis, Petras, 18
Miškinis, Algirdas, 22 Miškinis. Povilas. 22 Mitri kas, Antanas, 22 Mizaras, Romualdas, 18 Močius, Algirdas, 18 Mockuvienė, (Mrs.), 19 Mozūras, Kazimieras, 22
Nagulevičius, Juozas, 22 (Naikauskas), Vladas, 50 Naikauskienė, Nijolė, 50 Narušis, Algirdas, 22 Nausėda, 33 Neciunskas, Father Z., 32 Neigei, A.M., 50 Neniškis, Lionginas, 22 Nykštas, Petras, 22
Pakalniškis, Father Jonas, 28 Paltanavičius, Albinas, 22 Paltarokas, Bishop Kazimieras, 2 Paulaitis, Petras, 55 Pečeliūnas, Povilas, 55, 59 Pelešynas, Steponas, 22 Pesliakas, Vytautas, 18 Petkevičius, Vladas, 18 Petkus, Viktoras, 51, 59 Petraitis, Petras, 18 Petrauskas, Antanas, 22 Pilka, Steponas, 18 Pipiras, Albinas, 22 Plumpa, Petras, 55 (Počaitė), Asta, 43 (Počaitė), Rėda, 43 (Počaitė), Sigita, 43 Počas, Arvydas, 43 Počiulpis, Aleksandras, 18 Polikaitis, Vaclovas, 18 Pope John Paul II, 3, 7, 53 Povilanskis, Benediktas. 18 Povilonis, Bishop Liudvikas, 2, 12, 16, 24, 25 Požėla, Vladas, 18 Pranevičius, Jonas 22 Pranskietis, Augustinas, 22 Pranskietis, Vincas, 18
Pranskūnas, Povilas, 18 Pukenis, Robertas, 22 Puriuskis, Izidorius, 22 Puzaras, Father Petras, 25
Rabašauskas, Vladas, 22 Račaitis, Jonas, 18 Radzevičius, Vytautas, 18 Rakauskas, Jonas, 18 Ramanauskas, Bishop Pranas, 1, 2, 15 Ramanauskas, Father Vaclovas, 18,28 Rameikis, Antanas, 22 Raščius, Pranciškus, 22 Razmantas, Juozas, 18 Reinys, Archbishop Mečislovas, 1, 2, 15 Rembrant, 49 Rimša, Jonas, 22 Rinkevičius, Edmundas, 22 Rokaitė, Stasė, 57 Rudenko, Mikola, 55
Sabaliauskas, Pranas, 22 Sadūnaitė, Nijolė, 48, 49 Sadūnas, Jonas, 48, 49 Sadūnienė, Marija, 48, 49 Saint Casimir, 11 Saint Paul, 7 Saint Peter, 7 Saint Roch, 28 Sakalauskaitė, Daiva, 43 Saprigonas, Raimundas, 22 Sasnauskas, Julius, 59 Semaška, Edvardas, 18 Semaška, Liudvikas, 18 Shevchenko, Taras, 55 Simsonas, Bronius, 22 Skardinskas, Leonardas, 22 Skaudickas, 50 Skuodis, Vytautas, 55, 59 Sladkevičius, Bishop Vincentas, 2, 12, 25 Slavinskas, Antanas, 18 Slėpk o v, Artur, 33 Slipyj, Cardinal 13, 50 Smalvos, 23 Smolensk, 53 Stakėnas, Father Vaclovas, 6, 25, 33 Stalin, 2, 4, 34 Stankevičius, Jonas, 17 Stankevičius, Vincentas, 22 Stepinac, Cardinal, 13 Steponavičius, Bishop Julijonas, 2, 11, 12, 17, 25, 39 Stonys, Mykolas, 22 Storaitienė, Teresė, 42 Strazdas, Bronius, 22 Strielčiūnas, Alfonsas, 22 Strunskis, Algirdas, 18 Sungaila, Aloyzas, 22 Survila, Jonas, 18 Svarinskas, Father Alfonsas, 4, 5, 6 13, 15, 16, 18,19, 20,21, 23,25, 28, 29, 31, 32, 37, 40, 41, 46, 50, 58, 59 Svirskis, Paulius, 22 Šapokas, 37 Šaučiūnas, Ignas, 22 Šauklys, Viktoras, 18 Ščepavičius, Pranciškus, 18 Šepetys, L., 8 Šerkšnys, 55 Šeškevičius, Father Antanas, 4 Širūnas, Kazimieras, 18 Širvys, P., 38 Šlapelis, Bronius, 22 Šliauteris, Povilas, 22 Šukys, Gediminas, 22 Šumskis, Juozas, 22
Talačka, Albertas, 22 Tamkevičius, Father Sigitas, 4, 5, 6, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 29, 31, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 50, 58, 59 Tamošauskas, Leonardas, 22 Tamoševičius, Vaclovas, 18 Tamulionis, Pranas, 22 Tamulionis, Stasys, 22 Tarulis, Petras, 22 Tarvydas, 57 Tavoraitis, Petras, 18 Teresiūtė, Regina, 58, 59 Terleckas, Antanas, 53, 54, 59 Terleckienė, Elena, 54 Tijušas, Petras, 22 Trochta, Bishop, 13 Tvarijonas, Vytautas, 22
Uogintas, Father Jonas, 22 Urbonas, 42 Urbonas, Benediktas, 22 Ustinchiuk, (Mrs.), 57 Uždavinys, Sigitas, 22 Užusienis, Jurgis, 18
Vaicekauskas, Juozas, 18 Vaičeliūnas, Juozas, 18 Vaičiūlionis, Lionginas, 18 Vaičius, Bishop Antanas, 2, 12, 28 Vaičiūnas, Jonas, 22 Vaičiūnas, Vytautas, 3, 29, 30 Vainoras, Alvydas, 58 Vairą, Boleslovas, 18 Valančius, Bishop, 15 Valančiūnas, Antanas, 22 Valant in as, Antanas, 22 Valavičius, Vladas, 18 Vanagas, Alfredas, 18 Varnas, Juozas, 22 Varvuolis, Juozas, 18 Varžinskas, Povilas, 22 Vasauskienė, Zita, 57, 58 Vaškevičius, Antanas, 22 Vaškevičius, Juozas, 22 Velavičius, Father Vincas, 4, 5, 6, 14 Vovieris, Jonas, 18 Vydūnas, 37, 50
Wysczinski, Cardinal, 13,
Ylius, Antanas, 17
Zakrys, Antanas, 22 Zdebskis, Father Juozas, 4, 5, 14, 29 Žemaitienė, Birutė, 44 Zubavičius, Stasys, 22 Zulonas Antanas, 22 Žeberskis, Father Ignacas, 56 Želvienė, (Mrs.), 42 Želvys, Canon Juozas, 18 Žemaitienė, Birutė, 43, 44 Žemaitis, Arvydas, 43, 44 Žemaitis, Edmundas, 43 Žemaitis, Romas, 43, 44 Žilinskas, Bronius, 22 Žiugžda, Pijus, 18 Žukauskas, Šarūnas, 55 Žvinys, Serafinas, 22 Žyprė, Algirdas, 55
INDEX OF PLACES
Africa, 9 Akmenė, 23 Alytus, 23
Bakai, 29 Baras h e vo, 29 Bartininkai, 40 Bazilionai, 23 Byelorussia, 23
Czechoslovakia, 13
Dachau, 13 Daugailiai, 23 Dubičiai, 23 Dūkštas, 23
Fatima, 25
Garliava, 33, 35, 36, 46
Irkutsk, 53
Josvainiai, 23, 28
Kaišiadorys, 1, 2, 11, 12, 29, 32 Kalesninkai, 23 Kalviai, 23, 32 Kapsukas, 23, 50, 56, 57 Kaunas, 2,5,8,9,10,12,14,16,29,45. 46, 50, 56 Kazlų Rūda, 23 Kelmė, 28, 58 Kėdainiai, 28 Kirdeikiai, 23 Klaipėda, 2, 4, 11, 58 Kolyma, 54, 56 Kražantė, 29 Kražiai, 23, 28, 29 Kretinga, 23 Kriokialaukis, 23 Kuchino, 53, 55 Kuršėnai, 23 Kybartai, 13,18,19, 23, 26, 39,41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 50
Laižuva, 23 Latin America, 9 Lazdijai, 39
Magadan, 54 Maiden Hill, 28, 58 Molėtai, 57 Mordovia, 55 Moscow 4, 8 Mosėdis, 23
Omsukchan, 54
Palesė, 23 Panevėžys, 2, 12, 18, 21, 22 Panų Kalnas, 28, 58 Paris, 53 Perm, 29 Plungė, 28, 56 Pociūnėliai, 25 Poland, 13 Požėla, 50 Prienai, 41 Punia, 23
Radviliškis, 25 Raseiniai, 25, 27 Riga, 26, 56 Rome, 2 Rumbonys, 23
Seinchen, 54 Skardupiai, 56 Skuodas, 23 Smalvos, 23 Smolensk, 53
Šatės, 23 Šeduva, 23 Šiluva, 24, 26, 27
Tauragė, 23 Telšiai, 1, 2, 12, 56, 57 Trakai, 24 Tytuvėnai, 26
Ukraine, 55 Ūdrija, 23
Valkininkai, 23 Varduva, 27 Viduklė, 13, 18 Viešvėnai, 56 Vilkaviškis, 1, 2, 8, 9, 12, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50 Vilkija, 23 Vilnius, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 21, 23, 33, 40, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 50 Vištytis, 23 Vladimir, 2
Zarasai, 23 Žalpiai, 58 Žemaičių Kalvarija, 27
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Places mentioned in the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania No. 60
