Recent events in the Lithuanian Catholic Church

Abstract

The greatest concentration of Roman Cathplics in the USSR i~ found in the small Baltic republic of Lithuania. Recent events in Lithuania have drawn the attention of the world to this corner of the Soviet Union. Rioting in the streets and the self-immolation of three young men are the surface evidence for a deeper unrest in Lithuania. As 1972 saw the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the USSR,! it may be assumed that the central authorities were disturbed at these signs of discontent at present conditions in Soviet Lithuania. Not only that, but the troubles hhd a strong religious. content which could scarcely have gone unnoticed. Beneath these popular demonstrations there is a deep ferment in the Lithuanian Catholic Church. Over the last few years there has been muclt more information from different Christian groups abci~t the problems they face in Soviet society. More recently a new trickle of docUments began to appear from Lithuania, calling attention t~ very siniiiai.problems experienced by Roman Catholic believers in that area. There have been protests about restrictions on theological education, about the difficultY of preparing children for, confirmation and general discrirriination against believers. Believers have made transcripts of the trials of Catholic priests and somehow sent them out of the cciuntry. The firsf name to emerge clearly was that of Fr. Antanas Seskevicius, sentenced in September 1970 to one year's imprisonment for teaching religion to children. Now there has been a new development in this samizdat activity of the Lithuanian Catholic Church. The trickle of documents is becoming a stream and now a journal has made its appearance, called the of the Lithuanian Catholic Church. The first two issues, both dated 1972, have so far reached the West and have been translated into English. For those familiar with the wider Soviet human rights movement; the title of the new journal will inevitably recall that of the well-established Chronicle of C'flrrent Events. Indeed, there is evidence that Lithuanian Catholics,are v~ry much aware of events in Moscow and elsewhere. When Fr. Seskevicius was released and was unable to find a parish, he appealed to Academician Sakharov's Human Rights Committee for help. ' . The first number of the new Lithuanian Chronicle concentrates on the trials.of Fr. Juqzas Zdebskis and'F~. Prosperas Bubnys, sentenced in Octo. . . . ,