Lietuvių katalikiškų draugijų bruožai (1905-1907)

LTApie lietuvių katalikų draugijų ir kitų organizacijų veiklą permainingais 1905-1907 m. rašyta nemažai, išleista net specialiai konkrečioms draugijoms skirtų veikalų. Kai kurie autoriai aptarė šias draugijas kartu su kitų lietuvių draugijų veikla arba revoliuciniais įvykiais. Iš tarpukario darbų pažymėtina A.Dambrausko-Jakšto monografija apie Šv. Kazimiero draugiją. Šios draugijos veikla išnagrinėta gana nuodugniai, tačiau nutylėta jos genezė. Tuo laikotarpiu išleista nemažai publicistinio pobūdžio brošiūrų bei išspausdinta straipsnių apie katalikiškų draugijų veiklą. Iš iškilesnių minėtinas kun. P. Dogelio straipsnis apie Kauno šv. Zitos draugiją, V. Biržiškos brošiūra apie K. Olšauską, kurioje atsispindi Kauno šv. Juozapo draugijos veikla revoliucijos metais. P. Šalčius tyrinėjo dalyvavimą kooperacijos judėjime. Pokarinė ir vėlesnių metų lietuvių tarybinė literatūra katalikiškas draugijas paprastai vaizduodavo negatyviai - kaip carizmo sąjungininkes, reakcinės ideologijos diegėjas [p. 254].

ENThe article surveys the general features of Lithuanian Catholic societies in the period of their establishment and at the beginning of their functioning. On the basis of encyclicas by Leo XIII and Pius X and the works by later Lithuanian authors, A. Gaidys establishes the following criteria for national and Catholic societies: membership and leadership, the relationship with the Church hierarchy, aims and measures, practical activities to attain the desired goals. All societies are analysed as interrelated. The activities of the future clergy in the Seminary, the participation of the Lithuanian clergy in legal activities of such societies indicate that as early as in the period before 1905 they were potentially ready for organized work. First Lithuanian Catholic societies appeared in the 2nd half of 1905. When the regulations on the activities of social organizations by the Czarist government were announced on March 4, 1905, the process of their establishment gained speed. There were diverse reasons for the activities of these societies to concentrate in different regions. Distribution of functions and decentralization was typical of Kaunas the province.In the Suvalkai region the leading role was played by the "Žiburys" (Lantern) society. In the Vilnius province the conditions for the establishment of such societies were far from favourable, and the process of their emergence can hardly be traced. Not all of the existing societies acquired Catholic and national features at once. The bulk of both leaders and members was made of clergymen. This was predetermined by the scarcity of Catholic secular intelligentsia and the passive position of common people. The Church hierarchy tried to exert pressure on the leaders of these societies to restrain their activities only to the religious sphere. Still most of these societies declared their interests being both Catholic and national. This modified the direction of practical social activities of these societies. The self-consciousness of Lithuanian Catholic society and their welfare were promoted and increased by the activities of these societies in the spheres of education, culture and social life.