George Matulaitis Journal

307 know that this is true. Archbishop Ratti told me about it.” “Sir,” I went on, “kindly ask those who are carrying on this campaign against me to point out the facts and instances where I have been at fault. It would be very useful for me to know this.” He replied: “They are criticizing you because there is no Polish auxiliary bishop as yet.” “But that is not my fault,” I explained. “I have made every effort to have one appointed. However, I learned from Monsignor Ratti that Rome is determined not to appoint any auxiliaries here while the fate of these lands has not yet been finally decided. And I am in full agreement. Perhaps it may be necessary, and it probably will, to divide the diocese. 1 “Monsignor Ratti told me that if an auxiliary is appointed for the Poles, then there should be one for the Belorussians as well. But this is not possible as yet. The fact is that it is not yet clear whether under these conditions it is really necessary to appoint a Belorussian suffragan. Only time will tell.” Uzquiano then said that they are reproaching me for supporting the Belorussians, thus creating a Belorussian issue. I answered “What am I to do with them? These parts are inhabited mainly by Belorussians: wherever I send a Belorussian he finds himself among his own people. And finally, I am of the opinion that this is how it ought to be: Belorussian clergy should be appointed to Belorussian areas, Polish clergy to Polish areas, and Lithuanian to Lithuanian areas. Quite often I do not even know which priest is Polish and which is Belorussian. They often conceal their Belorussian origin because they are afraid of persecution.” Mr. Uzquiano mentioned Father Petrovski from Boruny. I told him that he was not hostile to the Poles, that he and the Polish workers had helped the Poles take Vilnius on April 19, 1919. For this he had been honored and rewarded—he received either a medal or a letter of commendation. Under the administration of Witold Abramowicz, this priest had been appreciated, praised, and supported by the government for his work with the Rebirth. Now that the government has changed, 1 According to the new borders, part of the Diocese of Vilnius was within the boundaries of Poland, part within Belorussia, and a considerable section in independent Lithuania. It became an Archdiocese in 1925. In 1926 a separate ecclesiastical province was created for Lithuania.