Reflections

Bernadeta Miliauskaite-Harris is a member of the Council of Religious Affairs of the Lithuanian American Community, Inc.

Archbishop Teofilius Matulionis:
 The Beatification of a Lithuanian Martyr

The Catholic Church in Lithuania owes its survival to the courage of people, who while living under Soviet rule, chose to defend their beliefs in the face of imprisonment, torture, even death. Among those who refused to surrender to Communist threats were Bishop Vincentas Borisevicius, Archbishop Mecislovas Reinys, Archbishop Teofilius Matulionis, and Bishop Pranas Ramanauskas. The beatification process has begun for the first three.

Beatification, followed by sainthood, has always been a mysterious process for laymen. What measures are taken to assess a candidate's standing for this honor? The recent proclamation of St. Edith Stein's inclusion into sainthood brought about controversial reactions from both the Catholic Church and the Jewish community. Yet, her intercession in behalf of a little girl's life, and her actions and pleas in behalf of the Jewish population proved to be a strong argument for saintliness in the eyes of the Catholic Church.

In addition to Blessed George Matulaitis, Lithuania has been the home for three candidates for beatification: Bishop Vincentas Borisevicius, Archbishop Mecislovas Reinys, and Archbishop Teofilius Matulionis. Their lives attest to the courage and faith that brings them forth to beatification. A look into the life of Archbishop Teofilius Matulionis enlightens the fervent meaning of the beatification process to the memory of a martyr, the faith that he treasured and protected, and the country that he strengthened with his unending work.

Teofilius Matulionis was born on a farm in Kudoriskis on June 22, 1873. He was ordained a priest on March 4, 1900 and assigned to parishes in Latvia and Russia. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, churches were closed and their property confiscated. In March of 1923, Rev. Matulionis and fifteen other priests were arrested and tried. He was sentenced to three years in prison and released on February 25, 1925.

From 1925 to 1929, Matulionis served at a parish in Leningrad. There, he was secretly consecrated a bishop by Bishop Maleckis on February 9, 1929. On Nov. 11, 1929, Bishop Matulionis was accused of spying for Lithuania and arrested a second time. He was held in Leningrad Prison for one year without trial. At night, he was interrogated; and forbidden to rest during the day. This did not prevent him from loving his persecutors. One night he told his interrogator that he felt sorry that the interrogator had to put up with him because he really did not have any information for him. His sincerity touched the heart of his persecutor so much, that the next day he brought the Bishop a sandwich.

If Bishop Matulionis had agreed to spy on his fellow priests and parishioners, he would have been released. He firmly refused to go against the dictates of his conscience. As a result, he was exiled for ten years to an area near the White Sea. He rejoiced at being able to join the 34 other priests imprisoned there, who lived in unbearable conditions, including starvation, disease, and torture. The climate was brutally cold. Prisoners were required to cut and clear 50 meters of forest a day. Sundays were not observed. Even though threatened, the Catholic priests did not work on Sundays. They would rise from one to five in the morning and secretly celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in groups of three or four; while one kept watch for guards.

The priests formed a commune in which they shared all money and packages received. It was broken up, and Bishop Matulionis was sent back to Leningrad Prison for more interrogations. From there, he was sent 250 kilometers north to labor in the forests 12 hours a day dragging logs.

After Lithuania declared independence on Feb. 16, 1918, a prisoner exchange was arranged between Lithuania and Russia. On Oct. 19, 1933, Bishop Matulionis, along with ten priests and three lay people, returned to Kaunas. His first act was to thank Pope Pius XI for his prayers and support by sending him a telegram. After regaining his strength, he personally visited the Holy Father on March 24, 1934. As he knelt for the Pope's blessing, Pius XI raised him up from his knees and knelt before him saying, " You are a martyr. You are the one who must bless me."

Bishop Matulionis visited 15 Lithuanian parishes in the United States from 1934 to 1936. Those who heard him speak, described him as kind, humble, loving, and forgiving. He spoke about his imprisonment only when asked and without the slightest hint of revenge. His main theme was the importance of suffering.

Back in Lithuania, the Bishop conscientiously shepherded his flock through World War II. People sought to escape the harshness of the German occupation by turning to alcohol. As Bishop of Kaisiadoriai, he invited everyone to abstain from alcohol. He urged people to pray for peace, to repent, and to consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In the summer of 1944, as the Germans were weakening, it became obvious that the Communists would return to Lithuania. Bishop Matulionis issued guidelines, which stated that priests were to remain with their parishioners. Only those in imminent danger would be allowed to leave and only with his permission. He urged all pastors to hold days of prayer.

After bombing Kaisiadoriai, the Communists returned on July 13, 1944. Bishop Matulionis continued to shepherd his flock by defending their rights. He wrote a lengthy memorandum to the Soviet authorities detailing the needs of the Catholic Church. A few of the issues he addressed were: that the Church be able to maintain official relations with the Vatican, that Sunday continue to be observed as a day of rest, that priests be able to catechize children and to conduct their duties without fear of arrest, that priests and Church property be exempt from exorbitant taxes, and that priests be able to minister to all who need them Ö such as Army recruits and the sick in hospitals.

On Feb. 21, 1946, the bishops met in Kaunas, and prepared a pastoral letter urging people to pray and work for the glory of God and the good of society. The letter was deemed anti-government by the authorities and forbidden to be published. Seventy-three year-old Bishop Matulionis was once again arrested Ö on Dec. 18, 1946, and imprisoned for nine months. He went to the interrogations dressed as if he was going to the altar; wearing a cassock and surplice. His interrogator admitted that even though Bishop Matulionis did not say much, he always spoke the truth. He was sentenced to seven years in the notorious Vladimir Prison in Moscow, without a trial. There he fell ill and was transferred to an invalid home in Mordovia to recover.

At the end of 1955, many prisoners were released Ö but not Bishop Matulionis. His relatives and friends wrote many letters to the authorities requesting the release of the elderly Bishop. That day finally arrived on April 26, 1956. He returned to Vilnius on May 4, 1956. His first stop was "Ausros Vartai" to thank God and the Blessed Mother for his freedom. After visiting with relatives, he went to live at the rectory in Birstonas where he was given one room.

On June 6, 1958, Bishop Matulionis received government notice that he would have to move out. A friend, Rev. A Pronckietis, pastor of Seduva, took him in. There he spent his final years. Hard labor and imprisonment took their toll. This good shepherd, who sacrificed his freedom for his people, received his eternal reward on Aug. 20, 1962. Before his death, in February, Bishop Matulionis received a telegram from the Vatican notifying him that the Holy Father had bestowed upon him the title of Archbishop.