George Matulaitis Journal

nationalistic interests (especially those of the Polish nationalists), I would be faced with the resistance and insubordination of the clergy. This has proved to be true. This incident made me very sad. Although trivial in itself, it indicates the spirit of the persons I am dealing with. Whom can I trust and rely on? Where am I to get truly Catholic priests? You yourself, Lord, deign to heal and restore the spirit of these priests, for it is poisoned by the evils of nationalism and political intrigue. I did not punish this priest. I think it will be enough for him to realize that I know and am aware of what is going on. The rest I will leave up to his conscience and to the Lord God. When Dyakowski came to see me previously, he always gave me the impression that he was very busy, that he was an important and active priest. From his talk I was given to understand that what he was really trying to communicate was this: “I am a pastor in my own right, and I am doing my job. I am not very interested in what the bishop may have to say, nor do I have time to consult with him.” But when he appeared today, he looked uncomfortable, as if he had been found out. Perhaps God allowed this to happen to humble him a little. I commend him to Divine Providence. Jan Malecki, an optician and a very devout man, came to complain about the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary, headed by Father Zadawski, spiritual director of the seminarians. He told the members of the Sodality that its work has priority over both school and home. Since he often uses the members of the Sodality for his own projects, this conflicts with the children’s other duties and causes confusion at home. He added that this priest also uses the confessional to further his nationalistic objectives. It seems that the priest persuaded this man’s daughter to stop going to confession to a Lithuanian priest as she had been doing up to now. I cannot tell how much truth there is in what this gentleman related to me. Nevertheless, it appears that not all Poles approve of the political activities of the priests. Even the lay people would prefer to have Catholic priests. Here in Vilnius it is becoming evident how everywhere the spirit of the clergy is infected with nationalism. 210