Bł. Jerzy Matulewicz a wschód chrześcijański

• Pal. Jurgis Matulaitis ir krikščioniškieji Rytai
• Pastor of the universal Church

LTJurgis Matulaitis labai iš arti susitiko su stačiatikybe Sankt Peterburge studijuodamas ir vėliau dėstydamas Dvasinėje akademijoje, domėjosi stačiatikių teologija ir bažnytiniu gyvenimu. Savo raštuose, laiškuose Bažnyčios dignitoriams dėstė: netinka organizuoti misijų stačiatikiams atversti į katalikybę, bet reikia organizuoti įvairiopą religinį švietimą, kuris padėtų jiems sugrįžti į tokį tikėjimą, kokio mokė pirmieji septyni visuotiniai Bažnyčios Susirinkimai, ir bažnytinę vienybę, kokia yra buvusi iki 1054 m., kai Rytų Bažnyčios pripažino Romos vyskupo viršenybę. Aiškino, kad stačiatikių liaudis ir inteligentija skirtumą nuo katalikų mato ne dogmose, o liturgijos kalbose ir apeigose bei hierarchijoje. Vilniuje J.Matulaitis tėviškai rūpinosi vargstančia stačiatikių rusų mažuma ir buvo jų nuoširdžiai gerbiamas. Baltarusių katalikų ir stačiatikių jaunimui šviesti bei auklėti 1923 m. Drujoje (prie Dauguvos) įkūrė marijonų vienuolyną ir įsteigė naują Jėzaus Eucharistijoje tarnaičių seserų vienuoliją. Marijonai įsteigė gimnaziją, kur mokėsi katalikai, stačiatikiai ir net žydai. Seselės mokė kaimo mergaites amatų ir rūpinosi vargstančiais žmonėmis. Vysk. J.Matulaitis su marijonais ir seserimis eucharistietėmis dalijosi svajonėmis apie apaštalavimą Rusijoje. Ta mintimi marijonai 1928 m. pradėjo darbuotis tarp katalikų ir stačiatikių rusų Harbine. Vilniaus vyskupijoje įkurdino Rytų apeigų vienuolius jėzuitus Albertine 1924 m. ir bazilijonus Torokanuose 1925 m.

ENIn the history of the Church there are people called to be God’s instruments for others, even entire communities. In our region at the beginning of the 20th century the disease of nationalism developed. It seems that God sent the Blessed Jurgis Matulevičius to heal our country with his teachings and the example of his life. While a student at the Marijampole secondary school, Jurgis participated in the Lithuanian national revival and became a conscious Lithuanian, accepted the positive elements and exaggerations of the revival as he himself mentioned in a letter to Rev. Jonas Totoraitis: “Earlier I hated Jews very much, there was also a time when I hated Russians and Poles. But God enlightened me, gave me grace. I understood that this was not compatible with Christ’s teachings, which ordered one to love his neighbor as himself.” (8 January 1913). While studying at the seminaries of Kielce and Warsaw, he was honored and beloved by his Polish fellow classmates. In 1905–1907 in Warsaw he organized the Polish Christian Democrats and edited their newspaper. While teaching at the St. Petersburg Spiritual Academy, he was a excellent guardian and spiritual father for the Polish and Lithuanian seminarians and young priests. When the Marian Order was being restored, nationalistic Lithuanians severely opposed him. He mentions this in a letter to Rev. Pranciškus Būčys in Switzerland: “You know very well how the Lithuanians have rebelled against us, especially against me. They have called me a Polonophile, declared that I want to restore the Lithuanian-Polish Union, to renew it again. They threaten that they will implicate us, Marians, to the Russian police if we appear in Lithuania (27 October 1924).The situation encouraged him to create a theology of national accord. Its main thesis is: there are no good or bad nations. The nature of man is the same everywhere: a lot of good and a lot of evil. “All of them are equal to my heart, and the most dear are those in whom I see more of Christ’s spirit (letter to Totoraitis of 8 January 1913). The religious order he led became international. Lithuanians and Poles lived together in harmony. After the nomination by Polish bishops, he was appointed Bishop of Vilnius on 22 October 1918. The diocese was being torn apart by national conflicts. He decided at any cost to be a bishop for all nationalities. He was interested in harmony and peace. For his actions he was attacked in an especially severe manner by Polish nationalists and Poland’s government, which wanted to use the Church for its own political goals. Moderate Polish laymen and clergy gradually evaluated the bishop’s noble views and defended him. The bishop hoped that the teaching of young priests in Rome’s universities, near the Pope, could successfully cure the disease of nationalism.In the spring of 1925 a great conflict arose between the Republic of Lithuania and the Holy See, when the latter signed a concordat with Poland. Diplomatic relations were frozen. In Lithuanian society there was an ever growing anger toward the Pope. In the opinion of Archbishop Matulevičius, if that situation continued the apostasy of Lithuania was possible. On 7 December of that year Archbishop Matulevičius was appointed Apostolic Visitator to Lithuania. He restored the trust in the Holy See. He put in order church life, also, prepared a project for the Church Province of Lithuania. It was announced on 4 April 1926 in the Apostolic bull “Lituanorum gente.” He also prepared a project for a concordat. It was signed after his death. Lithuania again began to cooperate effectively with the Holy See. Carrying out the mission of the visitator, Archbishop Matulevičius equated himself with the Holy See. He wrote to the representatives of the Sisters of the Heart of Jesus: “Today I can indeed declare that the Catholic Church is my only Homeland, and everyday I am becoming a more ardent patriot of only it” 31 March 1926). Pope John Paul II held the beatification of Jurgis Matulevičius during the ceremonies of the 600 year anniversary of the Baptism of Lithuania. To those ceremonies on 28 June 1987 he invited representatives of the episcopates of European countries. This was a symbolic act, very fitting to commemorate Lithuania’s entry into the ranks of Christian countries and to honor a pastor of the Universal Church. The role of Blessed Jurgis was properly evaluated by the Polish and Lithuanian episcopate contact commission by selecting him as their guardian. Our countries entering the European Union will find a strong supporter in him.