Bishop Sipovich new file

16 authorities. In 1937 the Polish authorities closed Belaruskaja krynica .. Towards the end that year Chryscijanskaja dumka began to appear under a new editor, a layman Victor Iermalkovich, at that time still a student, a close associate of Father Stankievich. He was later replaced by Iazep Pazniak, the former editor of Bielaruskaia krynica. With the lay editor the paper no longer required the ecclesiastical approval and was able to publish articles on a wider range of subjects than before. Stankievich’s name appeared in the paper as "publisher", but there was no doubt in anybody’s mind who the real editor was. This could not have pleased Jalbrzykowski, but, remembering the fiasco with Bielaruskaja Krynica , he refrained from banning Chrysccijanskaja dumka . Incidentally the change in character of the paper was noticed by readers. Anthony Tsviachkouski, a former Marian cleric, wrote about it to his friend Ceslaus Sipovich who was then already in Rome. Sipovich answered him on 28 July 1939: "No one denies that Chryscijanskaja dumka is openly becoming a national political paper; but the more fools those who deny us the proper sustenance ( i.e. the Polish authorities who closed Bielaruskaja krynica ) given to us by God, the Creator of mother nature. Where is there today a Polish paper which is not political?" Still earlier, Stankievich had found a way round another of Jalbrzykowski’s obstacles. When the latter refused to give ecclesiastical approval for certain religious books, Stankievich asked Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archbishop of L’viv, who readily gave all necessary permissions. To avoid accusations that Sheptytsky was interfering in the affairs of another diocese, the place of publication of these books was given as L’viv as well as Vilna. For many years Stankievich taught Religion and Latin in the Vilna Belarusian High School. There, he and his friend, the Belarusian Orthodox priest Father Alexander Koush, fought together for the souls of young Belarusians, defending them from the influences of materialism and communism. In this fight Stankevich was, according to the testimony of Koush, "as firm as a rock" 16 . He was generally known as a great friend and protector of young people who came to him for help and advice. By all accounts Stankievich was a strong and attractive personality, the result of a harmonious blend of faith and love of one’s country. Secure in his convictions, he respected those who differed from him, knowing that their views were as dear to them as his to him. He was highly respected by Orthodox Belarusians. The Vilna Orthodox seminary was in the same building as the Belarusian High School. The Orthodox priest V. H. who was a student there in the1920s, in his tribute to Father Stankievich on the occasion of the latter’s 25th anniversary of the priestlhood wrote that he was "not only a teacher of the Doctrine of Christ, but also a leader in the field of native culture and education, a man whom both Catholics and Orthodox may follow. If there were more such Catholic priests, then there would be no enmity among Belarusians: Catholics and Orthodox would have common leaders, and would not keep apart from one another" 17 . Another frequent guest at the Marian college was Father Kazimier Kulak, the parish priest of Landvarova near Vilna. He held a doctor’s degree from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. On his return from studies, Archbishop Jalbrzykowski suggested that he should take up the Byzantine rite on condition that he would use in his work the Russian, and not the Belarusian, language, which would ensure that he would be shunned by Belarusians. Kulak refused. Eventually he was accepted by 16 Koush A.,"Slava!"; in: Ksiondz Adam Stankievich , ed. Jan Shutovich, Vilna 1940, p.86. 17 Op. cit ., p.87