ARKIVYSKUPO MEČISLOVO REINIO LAIKYSENA 1940–1944 METAIS: TEIZMAS IR KRAŠTUTINUMAI

Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys is one of the most outstanding personalities of the 20th century. He was a professor, minister of foreign affairs, priest and martyr. Throughout his life, Reinys tried to spread the truths of the faith. The quest to protect both Lithuania and the whole of Western Europe from the collapse of civilisation after the loss of its Christian foundations led Reinys to the martyr’s crown. Although the articles published in the newspaper Naujoji Lietuva between 1940 and 1944 were rather conservative, they emphasise the tragedy of a society that has lost God as a landmark and a foundation. Reinys not only warned about the imminent catastrophe of Western Europe losing the basis of its civilisation, God and Christian values, but also called primarily for a cultural-ideological struggle using all possible weapons, because matter without spirit leads to destruction. It should be stated that Reinys’ written legacy is not collected and systematised today, and his articles published between 1940 and 1944 in the daily Naujoji Lietuva especially lack a detailed and critical scientific approach. In this article, I do not aim to critically assess Reinys’ statements, but look at them with an apologetic eye in order to analyse and actualise the main topic: the fight against godlessness. The first part of the article discusses the historical context that undoubtedly influenced the publication of these articles. The second part of the article examines the content of the articles published in the daily Naujoji Lietuva.