George Matulaitis Journal

with his retinue. A representative of the citizens read a speech. I thought that there would be no more speeches, and consequently, it seemed appropriate for me to say a few words. I said that the Church had been harassed, but now can breathe freely. For this I thanked the victor. I expressed confidence that the Church will now work and grow without constraint. I tried to speak in a purely pastoral spirit. After drinking a glass of tea, we left. The other guests stayed on. In the evening Mr. Osm o=o wski called with his deputy W = adys = aw Raczkiewicz 1 before they left for Warsaw. He said that it had not been possible to come to an agreement with the Lithuanians. I answered: “It is understandable that the local people were unwilling to negotiate. You should have talked to the people in Kaunas.” He asked that I not allow the priests to reclaim the churches taken over by the Orthodox just yet because it antagonizes them. I replied that I had never permitted any churches built by the Russians or the Uniates to be taken over. However, in the case of churches built by Catholics and turned over to the Orthodox, I had advised the priests to reclaim them wherever possible because they were Catholic property. When the Orthodox fled from the city, those churches often remained empty. Father Sienkiewicz, the former pastor of St. James’s Church and now serving as an army chaplain, had told me that they had some plan to stop the Orthodox, fearing that they would retake the churches. I said that they would not dare take those churches already occupied and used by Catholics. Otherwise, there could be riots. He [Osmo = owski] also complained that the “endek” priests are obstructing his work with their political activities. The Jewish Rabbi Rubenstein and Dr. Schabad came to see me. Apparently, the two Jews for whom I interceded, Joffe and Niger, had not been released, although General Í mig = y-Rydz had assured me that they were free. The two Jews were taken to Lida. Once again the Jewish leaders asked me to intercede for the Jews and to calm the 260 1 W=adys=aw Raczkiewicz (1885-1947) was Mayor of Vilnius at the time when the Polish army entered the city.