Tikinčiųjų teisėms ginti katalikų komiteto veiklos 1978–1983 m. apžvalga

LTAštuntasis XX a. dešimtmetis – reikšmingas lietuvių tautos Laisvės kovų istorijos etapas, nes būtent šiuo laikotarpiu Lietuvoje subrendo disidentinis judėjimas. Lietuva buvo vienintelė prie SSRS prijungta šalis, kurioje vyravo katalikų tikybos gyventojai, taigi neatsitiktinai svarbiausia Lietuvos pasipriešinimo sąjūdžio kryptimi aštuntajame dešimtmetyje tapo katalikų rezistencija. Šio darbo tyrimo objektas – Tikinčiųjų teisėms ginti katalikų komitetas, katalikų rezistencijos siekius viešai atstovavusi, tikinčiųjų ir kunigų teises gynusi institucija. Chronologiniai darbo rėmai apima 1978–1983 metus, viešos Komiteto veiklos laikotarpį. Svarbiausias šaltinis, kuriuo remtasi, yra 1994 m. išleistas Tikinčiųjų teisėms ginti katalikų Komiteto dokumentų rinkinys. Kitas svarbus šaltinis – Lietuvos katalikų bažnyčios kronika, kurioje publikuota nemaža dalis Komiteto dokumentų, taip pat rašoma apie sovietų valdžios poziciją Komiteto atžvilgiu bei kunigų – Komiteto narių teismus. Autorė rėmėsi ir Tikinčiųjų teisėms ginti katalikų komiteto nario dabartinio Panevėžio vyskupo Jono Kaunecko prisiminimais apie Komiteto narius ir veiklą [p. 126].

ENThe seventies are significant breakthrough for Lithuanian Catholic church - it is the time when resigned attitude towards Soviet authorities was replaced by active struggle for the rights of believers, and this influenced the rise of the Catholic Committee for Defense of the Rights of Believers. The Committee was established by five Catholic priests, who were active members of movement for defense of the rights of believers since the end of the sixties. The Committee claimed for the believer's rights and human rights in general, which were guaranteed by Soviet Constitution and international pacts signed by the Soviet government. Quite a big part of the Committee's documents were vvidely accepted by clergy of Lithuanian Catholic Church. The Committee's resolve to act publicly, and the fact that it had acted publicly for five years, points to the fact that 8th and 9th decades were the time when the Soviets couldn't suppress the opposition quite easily. Though the Committee acted legally, Soviet government from the very beginning had treated its work as harmful. The Committee's activity had been ruptured in 1983, when two priests - members of the Committee, had been arrested. The existence of the Committee was meaningful, because its actions helped Vatican and West countries in realizing the real situation of Catholic Church in Soviet occupied Lithuania. The Committee had acted publicly - it sūrely helped to destroy the image of USSR, as "the most democratic" country in the vvorld. The Catholic Committee for Defense of the Rights of Believers is significant part of Lithuanian struggle for freedom.