February 16th – the Day of the Reinstating Independence of Lithuania – is a special day in the history of the Lithuanian state. It is the day marking the nation’s dedication to freedom, uniting the present with the past and bringing back the memory of all fights for the freedom of Lithuania.
This year the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania has declared as the Year of the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania. On this occasion, we call to our memory the publishers of the chronicle and members of the church, their sacrifice, a firm belief in the freedom of Lithuania and their invaluable contribution to the future of our country.
The issues of the chronicle that are kept at Vilnius University Library became a part of its holdings in various ways. The second issue came to the library as early as in the year 1972 by the efforts of Priest Gediminas Blynas; however, for a long time it was not recorded in the inventory or the catalogues. Other issues were a part of the archives belonging to Priest Pranas Račiūnas and Associate Professor Vytautas Skuodis. The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania was reproduced using a typewriter. The publishing and distribution of the chronicle was one of the most dangerous occupations in the Soviet Lithuania.
Published for seventeen years as samizdat periodical, the chronicle not only defended Catholic faith and the rights of the Lithuanian nation and language, but also fought against the Russification. Reconciled with the thought that inevitably they will end up in prison or concentration camp, a group of priests, religious brothers and sisters as well as lay people were persistently gathering, publishing and distributing materials that discredited the Soviet rule. Even the publishers themselves failed to believe that the time will come when the seed of freedom that they planted will grow.
The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania had started a new stage of resistance in Lithuania – shortly it was followed by other samizdat publications. The chronicle became a symbol of a persecuted but resilient Church and, at the same time, brought attention to the case of the freedom of Lithuania in the West. The first issue was published on 19 March 1972. Despite the KGB’s persecutions and repressions, the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania had been regularly published until the re-establishment of the independence.
Happy Day of Restoration of the State of Lithuania!
2022-02-15