George Matulaitis Journal

did not appear that this was a person who had close contact with priests and bishops. It seemed to me that he was very interested in what I thought of the Bolsheviks. When I asked him what he did, he answered that he was working for the Bolsheviks as an economics instructor. When I understood what sort of person I was dealing with, I began to give him a sermon on the Bolsheviks, pointing out some of their unworthy and inhuman behavior. I told him that we priests do not interfere in politics, but that we would defend the Church, our Faith, and freedom of conscience with all our might. I pointed out to him that the Bolsheviks had incited the people against them by their vicious behavior. If they start throwing religious education out of the schools, they will incite the people against them even more. Mr. Kairys was also interested in my attitude toward Jews. I said that I am doing what I can to prevent a massacre of the Jews and that the Catholics obey me, even though several times the Red Army soldiers have tried to provoke them to turn on the Jews and beat them up. I told this gentleman many things. I wanted to frighten him properly so the Bolsheviks would not dare to take religious education out of the schools. I asked him to report to the Bolsheviks all that I had told him. Mr. Kairys rushed out the door without having achieved very much. 1 I shall have to start preaching to such people about death and judgment, according to the example of St. Ignatius. “Be as cunning as serpents, yet as harmless as doves” (Mt l0:l6). I parted with this gentleman most courteously, but it seemed to me that he had been sent on purpose by the Bolsheviks. When I heard that some of the Lithuanian priests had been arrested by the Bolsheviks, I asked Canon Kukta if this were true. It turned out that the Bolsheviks had indeed arrested Father Vailokaitis 2 and Father Dogelis. 3 From other sources I learned that Mrs. Bortkevi ius, 4 a well-known Socialist leader, has also been thrown in jail. The priests may have been arrested partly because of the 199 1 Here Matulaitis uses a colloquial Lithuanian expression: literally, “went away hungry,” but actually meaning that the person did not get what he was after. 2 On Feb. 16 the Populist Union which had organized held a concert in Vilnius to celebrate the first anniversary of Lithuanian independence. Fr. Vailokaitis may have been arrested because of this. 3 Povilas Dogelis (1877-1951): an active and popular Lithuanian priest who worked with young people. He was imprisoned several times. 4 She was the wife of the engineer Jonas Bortkevi ius and a prominent member of the Peasant Populist Party. She edited and promoted Lithuanian language publications and helped political prisoners.