Bishop Motiejus Valančius, Catholic Universalism and Nationalism

Abstract

The biography of Valančius has been investigated quite extensively by a number of writers (Antanas Alekna, Kazimierz Gieczys, Vaclovas Biržiška, Juozapas Stakauskas, et al.). In 1999 the monograph Motiejus Valančius. Tarp katalikiškojo universalizmo ir tautiškumo was published by the author of this paper, too. In those works ample use was made of previously published and archival materials, therefore the present paper aims at presenting a kind of biographical essay only rarely touching upon concrete events in the life and activity of the Bishop. The Catholic Church, the historical Lithuanian nobility with its prestigious Polish language, the Russian administration (and the Orthodox Church) as a rival of that former Lithuanian political nation, and lastly, the Lithuanian people – these were the four principal factors, which shaped the pastoral and cultural activities of Valančius. In his dealings with the Russian administration he had to uphold the legality of the Church policy and at the same time not to reconcile with the persecution of the Catholic Church and the enforcement of the Orthodox faith. The Bishop was always concerned with promoting a harmonious relationship between universal Catholic values and the cultural values of the historic Lithuanian nation and the Lithuanian people. A distinctive feature of his activity was his attention to the Lithuanian peasantry, treated by him as a potential mainstay of the Catholic Church and as a constituent part of a modern democratic Lithuanian nation and society, without radically conflicting with the local estate society. This societal education of the Lithuanian peasantry was implemented through the temperance movement led by Valančius, through the establishment of schools, the expansion of the social function of the Lithuanian language, the preparation, publication and dissemination of historical, religious and didactic and original fiction writings. Having exhausted all legal possibilities, the Bishop engaged in clandestine widespread anti-governmental Catholic and national activities.