Kunigas Mečislovas Reinys diplomatinėje tarnyboje (1925 09 25-1926 04 20)

ENProfessor and priest Mečislovas Reinys was a colorful figure of varied interests. After graduating from the Spiritual Academy of St. Petersburg, he went on to study at Leuven University in Belgium. There, he defended his thesis, “The Basis of Morals in the Works of Vladimir Solovyov” and was conferred a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Later, he studied at Strasbourg University, where he developed an interest in psychology. Dr. Mečislovas Reinys was an active participant in the political and social life of Lithuania. From 1917 to 1918, he was involved in the work of the Council of Lithuania. He took action, opposing the Polish occupation of Vilnius lands, and strove for retrieval of the historical capital of Lithuania. In 1925, he was elected to the first Executive Committee for the Liberation of Vilnius. During autumn of the same year, Mečislovas Reinys was offered the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. No doubt, the personality of Reinys influenced his diplomatic work. People close to Reinys unanimously knew him to be stoic yet tender, modest and reserved. Reinys was capable of fully hearing out an opponent, and became famous for his precision of thought. He was fluent in the major European languages — French, German, Italian, Russian and Polish. He also knew Latin and understood a little English. As head of the Lithuanian diplomatic corps, Reinys had to contend with numerous complicated international problems. Between late 1925 and early 1926, he managed to negotiate the conclusion of a non-aggression pact with the USSR. He also took active part in the drafting of pacts. Concurrently, he was exploring possibilities for strengthening relations with Germany, Latvia and Estonia. An objective of the Minister was to find the means to normalize relations with Poland and resolve the issue of Vilnius.was to find the means to normalize relations with Poland and resolve the issue of Vilnius. Reinys was an avid supporter of an orientation to the West, thus he put forth efforts to resolve the problem of Vilnius with assistance from Western countries and the United Nations. With this purpose in mind, he participated in the Special Assembly of the United Nations in Geneva in 1926. As a result of the initiative and efforts of the Minister, on April of 1926, Pope Pius XI issued the Lithuanorum Gente Bull, which established the province of the Church of Lithuania. By virtue of this act, the Church of Lithuania was made an integral institution, directly and solely subordinate to the curacy of Rome. New centers of religious culture flourished, as result of the establishment of the new bishoprics. Dr. Reinys resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs on April 20, 1926. The decision had come about as result of various factors. For one, he had been appointed the coadjutor of Vilkaviškis, a new position in the church hierarchy. Furthermore, he was in political disagreement with the Prime Minister, regarding relations with the USSR, and had faced reproach from the opposition. In summary of the political and diplomatic activities of Priest Reinys, it must be emphasized that the reserved, deliberate and well- balanced opposition he provided as Minister of Foreign Affairs was a significant contribution to the foreign policy of the mid-1930’s. It prompted critical scrutiny into the intent of certain Lithuanian diplomats, striving to achieve closer contact with the USSR, and thus, impeded a possible gravitation of Lithuania towards the zone of Soviet political interests. After his resignation from an intensive political life, Dr. Reinys was able to redirected his efforts to matters of Church and education.Until the Soviet occupation, he lectured different courses in philosophy and psychology at the University of Lithuania, later renamed Vytautas Magnus University. His academic articles tended to deal with issues in psychology. Additionally, Reinys became the spiritual leader and one of the most famous proponents of the Ateitininkai Movement. He long served as member of the Council of the Federation of Ateitininkai. Also to his credit, Dr. Mečislovas Reinys was one of the pioneers, who started an open dialogue, criticizing ideas of racism and nationalism in Lithuania. At the start of the Second World War, Prof. Reinys was appointed titular archbishop. He was only able to hold the position of administrator of the Vilnius Archbishopric for a short time. When the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania, he was exiled. In 1947, the archbishop was accused of anti-Soviet activities and sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years. Mečislovas Reinys died in the cell of the Vladimir Prison on November 8, 1953.

• Detalės ir asmenybės.. Acta historica universitatis Klaipedensis 1995, 4, 1923 metų sausio įvykiai Klaipėdoje, 51-56.
• Lietuvos ir Lenkijos priešprieša Tautų Sąjungoje 1926 m.. Lietuvos istorijos metraštis 1994, 1993, 70-80.