George Matulaitis Journal

schools run as they see fit. I think that you will be replaced by another principal, a Bolshevik, who will run the school his own way.” 6) Such concessions and agreements with the Bolsheviks can be partially justified only in the event that they will have pulled out by summer so that the schools can somehow be saved until then. With the beginning of the new school year, things would have returned to normal. But if the Bolsheviks hold on for any time, sooner or later we Catholics will have to fight for our ideals. Very probably here, as in Russia, at the beginning of the new school year they will abolish all non-Bolshevik schools and will end religious edu- cation everywhere. 7) I added the following: “If necessary, I intend to issue a pastoral letter to the priests and Catholic parents reminding themwhat kind of schools should be conducted in Catholic countries and to what sort of schools parents can send their children with a clear conscience.” Yesterday, Mr. Henryk + ukaszewski, the principal of the Vitebsk Polish secondary school, came to see me. He said that he had agreed to abolish reli- gious education at his school, but the priest is giving religious instruction in an adjacent building. According to him, the children are studying religion with greater enthusiasm and are going to church more regularly than before. The Bolsheviks are now supporting the school financially. He was amazed that there was such a hulabaloo about the Bolshevik demands among Polish society here in Vilnius. It seemed to me that his talk was meant to reassure me, but the man appeared a suspicious character. In the end, I saw that the staunch Catholics were determined to close the schools rather than to allow religious education to be thrown out. But it appeared that other teachers were willing to submit to the Bolsheviks and have the priests teach religion after class. I decided to wait and to observe further developments. The principal from the Vitebsk school added that, should the parents protest and show opposition, the Bolsheviks might arrest me just as they had arrested the Orthodox Bishop of Vitebsk. I answered him that in that case, I would go to prison. Throughout the conversation I could see that this man was on good terms with the Bolsheviks. Later on, Father Jasi <s ki, a teacher at one of the Polish secondary schools, came to ask me what should be done about those schools that have yielded to Bolshevik demands and have abolished religious instruction: should they be boycotted? I answered that it would be better to hold off on any boycott and just wait and see what happens. 182