George Matulaitis Journal

preached by the Polish priests. Were they free of political issues?” The General was silent. I had in mind the most recent sermon of His Excellency Bishop Bandurski 1 during the national commemoration of the “January Uprising.” 2 In his sermon he did not mention God at all. He began with Poland, spoke about Poland, and ended with Poland. He quoted only Polish poets. This was a speech fit for a political rally. I have heard a number of such sermons, especially during various national cele- brations. Fathers Czerniawski, Jasi < ski, Sienkiewicz, Kulesza, several army chaplains, and some other priests have spoken in this vein. I then reminded the General: “All the priests—Poles, Lithuanians and Belorussians—should be equally restricted from interfering in politics. Since I cannot enforce this and the Polish government would not agree to it, I must then allow all of them equal freedom of action. It would be unjust otherwise. I cannot have the Church identified with one party or a particular point of view.” Then Archbishop Hryniewiecki and General Mokrzecki began to attack Father Petrovski, a Belorussian and pastor of Boruny, because he supported a rural organization called [ Odrodzenie ] Rebirth 3 that is hostile to the nobility. They accused him of participating in a recent meeting of this organization, of encouraging the Belorussians to establish their own schools, and of founding a teachers’ college in Boruny. Why is all of this necessary? Petrovski is opposing the Polish state. His work is even detrimental to the Church. The people are dissatisfied with him and complain. In a polite way the General indicated and actually ordered me to remove Father Petrovski from that parish and transfer him to Kobrynia or some other place where he would be unable to continue the work he is doing. After I had heard all this, I replied: “General, your predecessor, the former President of the Provisional Governing committee, Mr. Witold Abramowicz, 4 came to see me and expressed the wish that 291 1 W = adys = aw Bandurski (1885-1932): had been auxiliary Bishop to the Archbishop of Lwów from 1906; came to Vilnius in 1920 with General ÷ eligowski as chief chaplain (Biskup Polowy) of the Polish Army. A rousing speaker, he was an enthusiastic supporter of Pi = sudski. 2 In January 1863 Poles, Lithuanians and Catholic white Russians rose against Russian occupation of their native territory and sought to gain independence. The uprising lasted 15 months and was brutally put down. The defeat was followed by executions, confiscations, deportations to Siberia, forced Russification and curtailment of religious freedom. 3 The author uses the Polish title throughout, but we have substituted the English name of this political organization. It was set up to draw the rural folk, the peasant farmers, and to popularize Pi = sudski’s political program among them. It had a socialistic bent, since its members spoke out against the wealthy landowners because the peasants wanted to own the land they farmed. 4 Also called Vytautas Abramavi ius, since he was born in Lithuania in 1874. He was a supporter of Pi = sudski and had headed the Polish governing committee of Central Lithuania from 1920 to 1921.