Brivais Laveitis, April 15, 1949

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dd: The Commuhist newspapers "CINA", "PADOMJU LATVIA" (in-the
Russian language), and pthers regularly publish anti-reli- r •gious and anti-clerical ärticles. •^^[•rS ^•^-r'/-\::V:^^ ^
ee. Ghiirch rites at funerals häye been replaced by "funeral mee-tings"
with anti-religious addresses, etc.
ÖFFICES ARE TAKEN OVER BY NKVD OFFIGIALS
MQNSTERS
1 9.4 1, t h e p hii
a r e s u b j e ö t e d. t p
r c h a n d C h u r c h s e r-c
o e r c i on and pe r s e-
3.: A s i n
' V a n t s
CU t i o n.
a. A general obseryance öf Suhdays and Church holidays is not permit­tcd.
':••:•} ' '^^^ V'-'-'^-
aa. Sundays have been replaced by "workless days", which.vary at;
different places of work. In August 1947 the farmers of the
'. communes 6f breilini, Jelgava, Aizpute and Ludza were obliged
to transport their compulsory grain deliveries in carts adorned
with red flags precisely on Sundays. Workers of the Broceni
cement factory must workbn Sundays.. ••y^-y^-^'-;':' '\\-.:r;l-.
• bb. The observance öf Christmas requires a special permit öf the
: . Cabinet of Ministers. The permit was granteH in 1945 and 1946,
-: ; ^ but was refused in 1947 wheh only the observance of the Ne\v
Year Day was permitted. Religious ceremonies are replaced by
addresses of Cömmunist propagandi.sts in factories,. etc.
b. Religious instruction in the schools is not permitted, and no'permit
has been granted for a single.institution:of tr.aining of Lutheran
pastors and Church servants. ' y--^'-:'\';:'^^
• aa. Religious instruction of School pupils is pot permitted oven in a
; private manner,.and ali former schopl books have been destroyed.%
Youths under 18 years are not permitted to gö. to church. .
bb^. The Latvian State Uniyersity has heUhera Faculty bf Theolögy j fl
nor a Faculty of Philosophy, and the Lutheran Church is not [
permitted to open private institutes for the schooling of pastors;
and church servants. (The Catholic Church has been permitted
to set up a private institute which öperates under stricl Sovicl
Control). At the. same time, four uniyersitics of Mar.xism-Lcni-nism
(three in Riga and 1 in Öaugavpils) operate on State
' fuiids. r\^- :\''y ' ' ; ^ ' : ' V .•
There are no religious journals, and it is riot permitted to Iransmit
divine services oyer the radio..
The äppearance of "Bäznicas Zinas'V a Journal of the Luthcraii^/^''
Church per*mitted diiring the German occupation. was suspended: m
at the same, time 39 Cömmunist newspapers and 11 jpurnals appcar p
in Soviet Latvia:
Head of NKVD - Shushtin. Commisskry of Interior.- Novik.
c.
d. The Church is not permitted to: appräise or criticizc the cxistini;
conditions from a Christian vievvpoint. The pastor of the Vcntspils
congregation was arrested because, in an intercession, he had mcri-tioned
that "the Latvian people has been sorely tried".
D. Attempts to Establhsh a Latvian' Church Obcdknt lo the Cömmu­nist
.1. In o r d e r the f a c i I i t a t e the f i g h t a g a i n s l
t h e C h. u r c h, o b t a i n -k no w 1 e d g e o f a n d .d i v i .d e
• i t s p a r t i s a n s, t h e S o v i e t r e g im e, i n a d d i t i o n
' ; t o t h e m e t h o d s u s e d d u f i n g . t h e B o 1 s h e v i k
o e c u p a t i p n o f 1 9 4 0—4 1. a Is o t e n t a t i v e 1 y
a p p i ie s ano t h e r me t h o d: t h r o u g h -pe r s u a s i o n
O T C o e r c i o n to o b t a i n a C li u r c.h 1 e a d e r s h i p
o b e d i e n t, t o t h e Co m m u n i s t s.
a. In violation of the Constitution of the Latvian Lutheran Church, tiie
Soviet State power appoinjis the head of the Church (G. Turss) and
the deans: A. Kaulins in Riga city, P. Klepers iri Riga district.
A. Vitols in Cesis district, A. Zvingis in Grobina district, J. Jarielsits
: in yaika district, V. Migla in Valmiera district, T. Valters in Bauska
district and J. Luksis in Dobele district. . i/\ •
b. The Soviet-apppinted "Acting Archbishop" G; Turss, on the basis
of an illegäl interpretation of the Constitution of the Latvian Luthe­ran
Church (the Archbishop of the Latvian Lutherali Church T.
Grinbergs is in Germa,ny and alone has the right to appoint his
" deputies and call a new synod), convoked dn March 14, 1948 a "gene­ral
synod", composed of prp-Communist lay delegates (their humber
2,200, exceds several times the number öf lay delegates provided
^ in the Constitution) and in fake elections, "unanimously" (in the
same way as the Patriarch pf the Soyiet Russian Orthodox Church.
Alexei, in 1945), was elected "Archbishop" of the Latvian Lutheran
Church. -:\y
2. A "Co m m i 11 e e o f R e 1 i g i o n a n d; W o r s h i p" has
b e e n set u p at t h e Ca b i n e t o f M i ri i s t e r s of
t h 'e S o V i e t Un i on. T h e S P v i e t La t v i a h Luthe­r
a n C h u r c h i s u iTd e r t h e d i r e c t o r d e r s of
t h i s G o m m i 11 e e. .T;.; •••
The Cpmmissioner of the Cabinet of Ministers V. Sheshkens has
hiis headquarters in Riga and gives orders to and controls the
: seemingly. tolerated actiyities of the Soviet Latvian Lutherain Church. \
3. T h e S o v i e t g o v e r n m en t d i r e cjt l y i n t e r f e r€ s
w 1 t h t h e h a n d 1 i n g o f C h u r c h a f f a i r s a n d
d et e r m i ne s t h e ä c t i v i t i e s, s y s t e m a ii d pe r-s
o n n e 1 of t h e C h u r c h .
a. The Church is compelled to observe thk holidays of Cömmunist
ideology which are foreign to the Churchland anti-Christian,
aa. On November 9, 1946 the "Decanus" Saurums presides a divine
Service in the Riga Cathedral, organised to extol the October
Revolution.
On May 10,1947 the Day of Victories of the Soviet Army was,
observed in the churches. In his sermon, based ön Apocalypsis
2,25, "Archbishop" G. Turss describes the acts of BPlsheviks as
the acts of Jesus Christ.
b. The existing system of the Lutheran Church is modified in an
arbitrary manner by introducing new church offices. e.g. the office
of a "Decanus" at the. Riga Cathedral. The latter has also the right to
Control the provincial congregations.
c. The pastors' staff of Soviet Latvia has been supplemented by new
•pastors" vvho hitherto had not belonged to the Lutheran Church
and whose religious and political attitude is doiihtful
Archbishop" G. Turss
118 (107 on April 1,
The report of March 14^ 1948 by the
gives the number of Lutheran pastors:
1947), although only 70 ordained clergyiben are now in Latvia.
On March 4, 1948, a formerly unknown student of theology A.
Krauats (allegedly student of the Tubingen university in Ger­many)
stated in. the Riga radio that owing to the kindness of
the Soviet authorities he has been appolnted pastor of the Pals-mane
congregation. .
t he pr o-
B o I s h e v i k.
P a s t o r s a r e b e i n g e x p l o i t ed f or
p a g a t in g of o r de r s i s s u e d b y t h e
o c c u p a t i o n a u t h o r i t i e s.
Pastors are compelled to participate in the broadcasts adressed to
Latvians abroad and aiming at promoting the latter's repatriation:
aa. "Archbishop." G. Turss speaks over the radio on April 8, 1947.
G. Saurums, Decanus of the Riga Cathedral, speaks over the
radio on May 10, 1947.
Dean of the Riga district, P. Kleperis speaks over the radio
on January 1, 1948 and makes propaganda for the monetary
policy of the Soviet government, grain deliveries to the govern-ment,
and the Soviet foreign policy, stressing the strength of
Soviet Russia and warning other countries.
Pastors are compelled to contribute to Soviet publications printed
for distribution abroad.
Articles by "Archbishop" G.. Turss have been published in the bulle-tins
issued by the Soviet Embassies in Stockholm and Washington.
The Bolshevik-designated Dean of the Cesis district A. Vitols
declared at the "general synod" of March 14, 1948 that ä "Church
servant is also a defender of the laws of the Soviet State".
NOBODY IN THE WORLD SEEMSTO BE WILLING
, TO HEAR THEIR DESPARATE CRY FOR HELP.