George Matulaitis Journal

147 reopen the seminary, but only on condition that everything be conducted in Latin and Lithuanian. The Bishop, pressured by the priests, promised to organize the diocesan chancery. Rome had categorically rejected the candidacy of Monsignor Olsauskas. However, the Germans tried to press the Vatican to accept the nomination and for this reason they exiled Monsignor Michalkiewicz. 1 Then the Lithuanian Council began to press my candidacy. As soon as I became aware of this, I went to Vilnius. I pointed out to Mr. Smetona 2 that I would most likely be more useful to the Church and to Society by remaining a simple religious; that religious communities were badly needed in our country and that if I were to leave, our Congregation would not survive. They could find other candidates for bishop. I also went to see Zechlin 3 in Kaunas. He was in charge of political activities at the time and I begged him not to have me appointed Bishop of Vilnius. In addition, I had written to Nuncio Pacelli 4 in Munich, explaining the difficult situation of our Congregation and requesting him to allow me to remain in Marijampole. The Lithuanian Council sent Father Petrulis 5 and Father Purickis 6 to Marijampole to ascertain whether I was a genuine Lithuanian. Evidently the Council was seriously considering my candidacy. I had asked the- brothers in Warsaw, Fribourg, and the United States to petition Rome pointing out the difficult situation of our Congregation as well as that, for the time being, I am very much needed here. 1 Exiled to the Maria Laach monastery in Germany for organizing a procession that turned into a politi- cal demonstration in June of 1918, Michalkiewicz returned in the fall of that year, but was no longer Administrator of the diocese. Msgr. Jan Hanusowicz was Administrator during the interim period before the appointment of a new Bishop of Vilnius. 2 Antanas Smetona (1874-1944): leading ideologist of the Lithuanian nationalist movement seeking Lithuanian independence; Chairman of the Lithuanian Council (1917-18); in 1919, elected first President of the Lithuanian Republic. 3 Dr. Erich Zechlin: head of the German foreign affairs department during the German occupation of Lithuania; after WW I became German ambassador to Lithuania. 4 Eugenio Pacelli (1876-1958): in 1917, consecrated archbishop and appointed Nuncio to Bavaria; in 1920, appointed nuncio to the German Reich. 5 Alfonsas Petrulis (1873-1928): graduate of the Theological Academy of St. Petersburg; ordained in 1899. Active in various Lithuanian educational and cultural projects in the diocese of Vilnius; in 1917, elect- ed to the Lithuanian Council, served as its secretary. Member of the Lithuanian delegation that met with Nuncio Pacelli in Munich in 1918 urging that a Lithuanian be made bishop of Vilnius. 6 Juozapas Purickis (1883-1934): received master’s degree in theology from the Theological Academy of St. Petersburg; ordained in 1912; obtained a doctorate in philosophy from University of Fribourg. Historian, political journalist, and eventually statesman; member of Lithuanian Council, sent to Berlin as its representa- tive in 1918; appointed first ambassador to Germany in 1919.