Katalikų dvasininkija Lietuvos valstybingumo priešaušrio diplomatijos vingiuose

LTStraipsnyje analizuojamas katalikų dvasininkų diplomatinis darbas, siekiant Lietuvos nepriklausomybės Pirmojo pasaulinio karo metais. Akcentuojamos Šveicarijos lietuvių tautos tarybos, kurioje daugumą sudarė katalikų dvasininkai, derybos su Vokietija dėl nepriklausomos Lietuvos valstybės atkūrimo 1918 m. Detaliau aptariamos kunigų Konstantino Olšausko, Juozo Purickio diplomatinės misijos Europoje, atskleidžiami šių žmonių diplomatiniai gebėjimai. Straipsnyje diplomatijos požiūriu vertinamas kan. Kazimiero Prapuolenio darbas Romoje siekiant Lietuvos nepriklausomybės. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Diplomatija; Diplomatinė; Diplomatinė misija; Italija (Italy); Katalikų dvasininkija; Lietuvos katalikų dvasininkija; Lietuvos nepriklausomybė; Misija; Pirmasis pasaulinis karas, 1914-1918 (Didysis karas; World War I); Vokietija (Germany); Šveicarija; Catholic clergy; Diplomacy; Diplomatic mission; Germany; Independence of Lithuania; Italy; Lithuania's Catholic clergy; Lithuania's independence; Lithuanias independence; Switzerland; World War I.

ENCatholic clergy comprised a considerable part of the Lithuanian intellectuals who stood at the dawn of Lithuania’s independence. The article analyses the work of Catholic clergy abroad at the dawn of the independent state of Lithuania, i. e. in the years of World War I, and evaluates their diplomatic skills. It focuses on the work of Catholic clergy in Switzerland in the period 1916–1918 and their attempts in Rome trying to win the favour of the Holy See in respect of Lithuania’s independence. The article provides a more in-depth discussion on the representation of Lithuania’s interests abroad by priests Juozas Purickis, Konstantinas Olšauskas, Pranciškus Karevičius and Kazimieras Prapuolenis abroad. The following major diplomatic missions are discussed in the article: The Church Lithuanian Day, obtaining the right to organise it and its organisation; negotiations with Germany over independence (meetings with representatives of the Reichstag and the German military administration in Lithuania); election of the king of Lithuania; the mission in Rome trying to win the favour of the Holy See towards the independent state of Lithuania. The diplomatic missions which involved or were organised by Catholic clergy made a substantial contribution to the promotion of the attempts of the Lithuanian nation to establish an independent state in Europe; they broke the ice in Vatican City, shaping the understanding of the Holy See that Lithuanians were not Poles but an independent nation seeking to have an independent state with the Church directly subordinate to the Apostolic See. The faculty to manoeuvre, to avoid direct collisions, patience and artfulness are very important in diplomacy.At the dawn of Lithuania’s independence these qualities were demonstrated by Prapuolenis, Olšauskas, Purickis. Kazimieras Prapuolenis could be called the "master of manoeuvring"; Konstantinas Olšauskas and Juozas Purickis stood out for their flexibility and ingenuity; Pranciškus Karevičius and Pranciškus Būčys were less diplomatic. [From the publication]