George Matulaitis Journal

150 talk to Bishop Karevi ius and also to attend the convention at the Center for Catholic Action. On the way to Kaunas, Monsignor Wo=od{ko and Monsignor Uszy == o, representatives of the Vilnius Cathedral Chapter, 1 and I just missed each other. They found me in Kaunas and extended their con- gratulations on behalf of the Chapter. We discussed arrangements for the installation and the speeches. Again, I told them that I was determined, first of all, to address the Poles in Polish even though the Lithuanian Council delegates were pressing me to speak in Lithuanian first. I also said that I was, as yet, undecided about giving an address in Belorussian. Both representatives were very much opposed to my addressing the Belorussians. Monsignor Wo=od{ko was adamant. He said that there were no Belorussians in Vilnius; that they are merely a fiction created by the Germans, and so on. I pointed out that even the newspaper Dziennik Wile<ski , 2 which supports Polish interests, concedes that the Belorussians make up 17% of the population. In that case, would it not be worthwhile to show some consideration for them as well? Finally, I said that I was willing to leave all the decisions for the arrangements and consultation with the various delegations to the Chapter since it was the host and I would be coming as its guest. I asked them, as far as possible, to make peace among the delegations of the various nationalities and to create harmony among all. The Chapter delegates expressed the wish that I be consecrated in Vilnius. November 11 3 I received a telegram from His Excellency Monsignor Ratti instructing me to be consecrated immediately and to take up the administration of the diocese without waiting for the bull. Again I went to Kaunas to consult with Bishop Karevi ius. I also wanted to go to Warsaw and see Ratti personally because it would be difficult to 1 Founded in 1387, at the same time as the cathedral. Its full membership was twelve: six monsignors and six canons. While Matulaitis was bishop, it had nine members. The six monsignors were Jan Hanusowicz, Vicar; Jan Sadowski, Dean; Adam Sawicki, Rector of the Cathedral Franciszek Wo=od{ko , Dean of Priests; Kazimierz Michalkiewicz, former Administrator; Jan Uszy == o, Rector of the Vilnius Seminary. The three canons were Karol Lubianiec, Vice-Rector of the Seminary; Juozapas Kutka; Lucjan Chalecki, Chancellor (1920-1925). The membership fluctuated in 1918-20 because of unstable conditions. 2 Dziennik W ile<ski :(The Vilnius Daily) a Polish newspaper, published in Vilnius from 1906. It expressed the views of the Polish National Democratic Party—Narodowa Demokracja (ND). 3 The events recorded are dated by the author, but it is not clear when the actual entries were made. It appears that they were made sometime later.