Through Faith to Freedom: motivations and reasons for clergy resisting the regime during the Soviet era

Lithuania's political, economic, social and spiritual life changed radically during the almost half a century of Soviet occupation. In an attempt to integrate Lithuania into the "socialist empire", the USSR government tried to suppress any form of free thinking and to instil communist ideology in society. Forced atheisation and the creation of a society that believed in communist ideals were among the regime's main goals. A fierce anti-religious policy was used to achieve them. The repression of the Catholic Church in Lithuania began as soon as the occupation began: churches and monasteries were closed, clergy and faith communities were persecuted, recruited or even deported. However, the Church managed to remain the only space that did not serve the Soviet reality - the resistance of the clergy in the 1970s and 1980s gained momentum. In this study, we have sought to find out the main motivations of the clergy for joining the resistance during the Soviet period. We decided to share the results in order to encourage young people to take an interest in the various forms of resistance and to find inspiration in the stories of people who were determined.

See the project here: https://www.instagram.com/rezistentu.gatve.4?igsh=cHAwbWwxbHJ6YnA2