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This issue is dedicated to VLADAS LAPIENIS, who has set out for the second time on the difficult way of the prisoner.
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA, No. 66 
In this issue:
1. Temptation Which We must Reject
3. From the Trial of Father Jonas Kąstytis Matulionis and Young Romas Žemaitis
4. From Material Used Against Father Sigitas Tamkevičius
5. Statement of Father Rokas Puzonas to the Head of the KGB
10. New Underground Publications
Lithuania April 7, 1985
A Translation of the Complete Lithuanian Original
CHRONICLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA No. 66
Documenting the Struggle for Human Rights In Soviet-Occupied Lithuania Today
Translated by: Rev. Casimir Pugevičius
Translation Editor: Marian Skabeikis
Published by Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid. Inc.
351 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11207
©Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid 1986
ISSN 0197-0348
This issue of the chronicle of the
Catholic Church in Lithuania was made possible by a generous gift of the Knights of Lithuania.
Franciscan Fathers Press 341 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, ny 11207
COVER:
A petition signed by 150,000 believers for the return of the Klaipeda church sent to Moscow in 1979. In this issue the priests of the Diocese of Telšiai and the Prelature of Klaipeda once again call for the return of the Church of Mary, Queen of Peace.
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 forget the plight of a people struggling against overwhelming odds to defend their religious beliefs and to regain their basic human rights.
Rev. Casimir Pugevičius Translator
INDEX OF PERSONS
Alminas, Father Adomas, 35 Andrikonienė, Mrs, 47 Anilionis, Petras, 30, 33, 36, 40, 46, 47, 58 Anužis, Father Stanislovas, 35 Arlauskas, Father Klemensas, 35 Arnašius, Father Albinas 35 Augonius, 46 Augustis, Father Antanas, 35
Bagužas, Father Brunonas, 35 Bakučionis, Jurgis, 44 Baliūnas, Father Feliksas, 58 Balsys, Father Vaclovas, 12, 13 Balčiūnas, 26, 27, 28, 29 Baranauskas, Bishop Antanas, 4 Baškys, Father Aloyzas, 35 Beinoris, Father Jonas 36 Beniušis, Father Antanas, 35 Bernotas, Father Petras, 35 Bichkov, Mrs., 52 Bieliauskienė, Jadvyga, 43, 44, 47, 59 Bielinis, J. 58 Binkus, Father Antanas, 35 Bivainis, Father Domininkas, 35 Bradžius, Father Bronislovas, 36 Brilius, Father Kęstutis 46 Brilius, Father Vytautas 45 Bukauskas, Father Juozapas 35 Burneikis, Father Bronislovas 35 Butkus, Father Juozapas 35 Butkus, Father Viktoras 20, 54 Butvilienė, Mrs. B. 41
Čekanavičius 57 Chernenko, Konstantui 33
Dabrila, Father Justinas 12 Dambrauskas, Father Liudvikas, 35 Dambrauskas, Lidas 58 Degutis, Father Česlovas 36 Degutis, Father Zenonas 36 Dranginytė, Ona 47, 48
Eichkov, Mrs. 52 Ežerinskas, Father Stanislovas 35
Gardauskas 46 Garjonis, Father Antanas 35 Gasčiūnas, Father Kazimieras 35 Gastiūnas, Father Juozapas 35 Gauronskis, Father Anupras 36 Gauronskis, Father Vincentas 35 Gedgaudas, Father Juozapas 36 Gedvilą, Father Jonas 35 Genutis, Father Algis 35 Germanas, Father Edmundas 36 Giedra, Father Domininkas 35 Grabauskas, Father Juozapas 35 (Gražulis), Antanas 42 Gražulis, Father Antanas 42 Gražulis, Father Juozapas 45 Gražulis, Petras 42 Grigaitis 41 (Grigas), Antanas 42 Grigas, Robertas 42, 43, 44 Griškevičiūtė, Irena 57 Gudžiūnas 9 Guobytė, Gita 57 Gutauskas, Father Algirdas 30 Gylys, Father Antanas 35 Gylys, Father Kazimieras 36
Herod 32
Iešmantas, Gintautas Ilinčius, Father Stanislovas 36 Ilskis, Father Jonas 35 Ivanauskas, A. 42 Ivanauskas, Father Antanas 35
Jadviršis, Father Konstantinas 36 Jakutis, Father Aleksandras 35 Jakštas, 57 Janauskas, Father Juozapas, 35 Janulis, Anastazas 28, 29 Jasas, Father Petras 35 Jaugelis, Father Virgilijus 47 Jekas, Edmundas 45 Juozėnas 7 Jurgaitis, Father Antanas 35 Juskys, Father Vladislovas 35 Juškys, Father Izidorius 36
Kadys, Father Vytautas 36 Kalashnikov 47 Kasparevičienė, Eugenija 45, 46 Kauneckas, Father Jonas 27, 35 Kauneckis, J. 40 Keina Father Algimantas 30 Kepraskas, Father Anicetas 35 Kerbedis 57 Kharchev, Konstantui 5, 6, 44 Klebonas, Father Vincentas 35 Klimavičius, Father Alfonsas 35 K rain ova, Irena 51 Kuroyedov 33 Kurtinaitytė, Teresė 47, 48
Lapienis, Vladas 3, 47, 48, 59 Lapinskienė 37, 39 Latakas, Father Bronislovas 35 Laukienė, Mrs. 41 Laurinavičius, Father Bronius 54 Lauriūnas, Father Jonas 30, 45 Lekutas, Father Stanislovas 36 Lelienė, Mrs. J. 41 Leonavičius 40 Lideikis, Father Aloyzas 35 Linkevičius, Father Petras 35 Liutkevičius, Father Juozapas 36 Lozoraitis 8 Lygnugaris, Father Petras 35
Maželis, Father Juozapas 35 Magelis, Father Kazimieras 36 Maigys, Alvydas 57 Maironis 24 Mantvydas, Father Juozapas 36 Martinaitis, Jeronymas 46 Martinaitis, Juozapas 46 Matulionis, Archbishop Teofilius 18 Matulionis, Father Jonas Kastytis 3.5, 9,10,11,35,42,45,59 Merliūnas, Father Petras 35 Miklovas, Father Juozapas 35 Mikutavičius, Father Vytautas 35 Mildažytė, Vaiva 57 Miškinis, Father Julijonas 35 Moketaitis, Father Vytautas 35 Morkūnienė, Mrs. 47
Nacienė, 46 Našlėnas, Father Petras 35
Obremski, Msgr. Juzefas 30 Olšauskas, Father Juozapas 35 Olšauskas, Msgr. Konstantinas 40, 41 Orentas, Father Aloyzas 36
Pakalniškis, Father Jonas 35 Pakamanis, Father Algirdas 35 Paliukas, Father Jonas 35 Palšis, Father Petras 35 Paulaitis, Petras 28 Paulauskas, Father Jonas 35 Paškevičius, Rimantas 57 Pačinskas, Father Juozapas 35 Petkus, Viktoras 28 Petraitienė, Mrs. A. 42 Petrauskas, 47, 48 Petrauskas, Father Jonas 35 Petriką, Father Jonas 12 Petrikas, Father Konstatinas 35 Petronaitis, Father Antanas 35 Pečeliūnas, Povilas 51, 59 Pilelis, 47, 48 Pinkauskaitė, Rasa-Genovaitė, 57 Pinkauskas, 57 Platinskas, Vincas 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29 Plato 33 Plioraitis, Father Ignas 44 Pope John Paul II 7, 54, 58 Popieluszcko, Father Jerzy 4, 40 Povilionis, Archbishop Liudvikas 7 Poška, Father Tadas 35 Pranka, Father Juozas 23 Prialgauskas, Father Kazimieras 35 Pridotkas, Father Alfonsas 35 Pudžemys, Father Adolfas 35 Puidokas, Father Klemensas 35 Puzaras, Father Petras 35 Puzonas, Father Rokas 3, 5, 20, 30, 46, 47 (Puzonas), Juozas 20
Racevičius, Father Bronius 35 Račiūnas, Father Pranas 41, 42 Radveikis, Father Vladas 35 Rakickas, Juozapas 46 Razmantas, Father Juozapas 36 Rimkus, Father Kazimieras, 35 Ričkus, Father Antanas 35 Rudzinskas, Father Jonas 35 Rutalė, Father Juozapas 36 Ružė, Father Pranas 35
Sadūnaitė, Nijolė 28, 52, 53 Sadūnas 53 Sadūnas, Jonas 51, 52, 53 (Sadūnienė), Marytė 52 Saint Casimir 48, 54 Saint Joseph 27 Sakalauskas, J. 54, 55 Sakutis, Father Stanislovas 35 Šapoka, Father Leonas 16 Šarkauskas, Father Liudvikas 35 Sasnauskas, Ulius, 59 Satkus, Father Pranciškus 36 Senkus, Father Vincentas 35 Serapinas, Father Liudas 35 Serapinas, Father Petras 35 Šeškevičius, Father Antanas 35 Šėkšnys, Father Valentinas 35 Šimkus, Father Zigmas 35 Simokaitis, Jonas 58 Sirtautas, Father Henrikas 35 Širvaitis, Father Juozas 35 Skaudienė, Mrs. 9 Ski paris, Father Vytautas 35 Skirmantas, Father Domininkas 35 Skuodas, Vytautas 50 Skuodis, Vytautas 50, 59 Šlevas, Father Vladas 35 Smilčienė, Mrs. J. 35 Socrates 33 Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr 14 St. John the Baptist 32 Stalnionytė, Asta 57 Stankaitis, J. 55, 56 Stankevičienė, Mrs. 45 Starkus, 25 Steponaitis, Father Gintas 9, 11 Steponavičius, Bishop Julijonas 8,30, 31,58 Stonienė, Mrs. 46 Striukis, Father Antanas 36 Stukas, Father Petras 35 Šukys, Father Juozas 35 Šulcas, Father Henrikas 35 Švambarys, Father Tomas 35 Svarinskas, Father Alfonsas 13, 25, 27, 29, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 54, 59
Talaišis, Father Bernardas 36 Tamašauskas, Father Julius 35 Tamkevičius, Father Sigitas 3,12,13, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 59 Tamonis, Father Jonas 46 Terleckas, Antanas 58, 59 Tikhonevich, J. 5 Tokranov, 53 Tumėnas, Kazimieras, 23 Tvirbutas, D. 46
Vėlavičius, Father Vincentas 27, 36 Vaitelis, Father Stanislovas 36 Vaitonis, Father Jonas 44 Vaičionis, Father Kazimieras 32 Valaitis, Father Feliksas 35 Verkelienė, Mrs. 57 Velioniškis, Father Konstantinas 35 Venckus, Father Petras 35 Venckus, Father Pranas 36 Venclovas, Vaidas 57 Verikas, Rimvydas 57 Veselis, Father Leonas 36 Vitkus, Father Vincas 36 Vičiulis, Father Jonas 36
Ylius, Father Antanas 40
Zdanavičius, Father Antanas 36 Zdebskis, Father Juozas 25, 27, 44 Zeberskis, Father Juozas 36 Žemėnas, Father Kazimieras 30 Žemaitė, 26 Žemaitis, Arvydas 9 Žemaitis, Edmundas 9 Žemaitis, Father Juozas 45, 46 Žemaitis, Romas 3, 5, 9, 11, 42, 59 Žemaitis, Romas 45 Žiautys 43, 44 Žilinskas 41 Žilvys, Father Ferdinandas 36 Žukas, Father Anupras 36 Žukas, Father Kazimieras 36 Žulpa, Father Romualdas 36 Župsnys 52 Žvirzdinas, Father Vytautas 36
... , Janina 49
.... , Vytautas 49
INDEX OF PLACES
Alytus, 41 Adutiškis, 54 Alksnėnai, 12 Alytus, 20, 24, 25, 27, 41, 42, 57 Alytus, II, 42
Barashevo, 43 Batakai, 7 Berlin, 8 Budavonės, 12
Chile, 32 Chusovskoy, 43 Cisena, 53
Garliava, 15 Gaurė, 7
Helsinki, 39 Hill of Crosses, 39
Ignalina, 45 Igrim, 51
Jonava, 51 Joniškis, 40
Kalisnykai, 44 Kaunas, 7, 15, 20, 24, 26, 33, 34, 44, 47, 54 Kelmė, 36, 37, 38, 39, 57 Kiaukliai, 20, 30, 46 Klaipėda, 6, 33, 34, 35 Kuchin, 43 Kybartai, 13, 30
Lankeliškiai, 12, 13, 19 Lazdijai, 42 Leipalingis, 42 Linkmenys, 45
Maiden Hill, 39 Milan, 53 Molėtai, 57 Mordovia, 43 Moscow, 6, 25
Novosibirsk, 42
Padubysis, 57 Pakražantis, 36 Panevėžys, 30 Perm, 43 Poland, 5, 8 Polovinka, 43
Raseiniai, 37, 38, 39, 46, 47 Rome, 7, 8 Ryliškiai, 12
Šakiai, 45 Salzburg, 58 Šiauliai, 40, 45 Sidabravas, 25 Šiluva, 39 Širvintai, 20, 46 Skaruliai, 14 South Africa, 32
Tadzhik, 54 Tauragė, 7, 55 Telšiai, 33 Tengushev, 43 Tirghiz, 54 Turgeliai, 32
Uzbek 54
Vidukle, 36, 37, 46, 47, 49 Vilkaviškis, 7, 12 Vilnius, 4, 8, 9, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30. 32, 40, 42, 44, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 59
Žalpiai, 36, 37 Zarasai, 44 Žemaičių Kalvarija, 39
