Abstract

Straipsnyje analizuojami Lietuvos katalikų bažnyčios kaitos ypatumai pirmuoju nepriklausomybės dešimtmečiu. Nagrinėjamos Bažnyčios vidaus ir išorės permainos, nulemtos visuomenės ekonominių, socialinių ir kultūrinių transformacijų, visuotinės globalizacijos procesų pagimdyto religinio pliuralizmo, į kurį tenka reaguoti atsižvelgiant į turimą bažnytinės veiklos paveldą, suformuotą istorinės patirties ir konkrečių aplinkybių. Aptariama Katalikų bažnyčios laikysena valstybės ir politinio gyvenimo atžvilgiu, jos specifinės padėties ir vaidmens kitimo prielaidos kuriant pilietinę visuomenę Lietuvoje. Prasminiai žodžiai: Katalikų bažnyčia, religinės organizacijos, kultūrinis ir religinis pliuralizmas, antiba žnytinė valstybės politika, pilietinė visuomenė. CHANGES OF CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITHUANIA IN TIME OF TRANSFORMATIONS Valdas Pruskus Summay After the restoration of independence of Lithuania, changing of Catholic Church as an institution was predetermined by two most important factors. One of them was the heritage of the anti-church policy promoted in the Soviet times. The other one was the fact that on the transition from the earlier social links with a civic society the Church comes into collision with new challenges and looks for an adequate response in the presence of rapidly developing transformations. The formal renovation of the Church within the first decade of independence by returning to its earlier prohibited spheres and means of activities brought to light the new sources of tension of growing of the Church as an institution. The external sources are bound with the myths which appeared in the times of Sąjūdis and have failed already - the overrating of the force of the Church and its possibilities to influence the society as well as the insufficient estimation of expressions of the enmity to the Church. The internal sources include: a lack of an adequate communication with the modern pluralistic society using influential means; a conflict between the general welfare and the interests of an individual in a settlement of affairs of the Church; clashes of conservative priests and supporters of making the Church more modern. The listed sources of tension bring to light the real outline of the position and influence of the Church in the society as well as its political influence. The attitude of the Catholic Church with respect to the state within the last decade may be characterized with three essential factors. First, the Catholic Church declared that in principle it agrees with a democratic political regime, however, it is far from being truth that such almost declarative approval of a democracy means identical perception of the principles of democracy, in particular freedom and tolerance, in various strata of believers. Second, the Church was looking for ways and means to disclose its relations with political parties. The Church was trying to maintain a moderate position with respect to political parties, because they have not sufficiently clearly defined their ideological identity and have not expressed clearly their position with respect to the Church. Their attitude is often caused by one-day conjuncture conditions. Third, the Catholic Church in Lithuania is not disposed to affiliate itself both with the national idea and nationalism. This standpoint has long-year traditions, formed before the war, and, in course of strengthening of the links of the Catholic Church with Protestant, Orthodox and even Old Believer communities, it made the atmosphere of suspiciousness, alienation and distrust more healthy and in this way helped to reduce the tensions between Lithuanians and national minorities of Lithuania. In spite of an indubitable positive influence of the Catholic Church upon an improvement of the social organization of the society and a formation of a civic society in Lithuania, it becomes more and more clear that the state de facto gradually is ceasing to consider the Church as organization with special status. If civic society is defined as system of various groups, societies, unions, the Church becomes one of many groups of interest. Being a group of interest means the following to the Church. First - a loosing of the certain a priori predetermined position which does not look well from the standpoint of democratic pluralism proper to civic society. Second - the relations of the Church as an institution with other public institutions are defined more clearly and a necessity to strive for a realization of its interests in a competition with other is better realized. It was a peculiar challenge both to the Church and believers. The Church was induced to find ways of action corresponding to the needs of the society. The believers were induced not only attest publicly their Christian faith, but also effectively protect it. Keywords: Catholic Church, religious organizations, cultural and religious pliuralism, anti-Church activities of State, civic society.