Vyskupas Motiejus Valančius (Wolonczewskis) 1848 m. parašė istorinį veikalą „Žemajtiu Wiskupiste“. Autorius aprašo Romos katalikų Bažnyčios gyvenimą Žemaičių vyskupijoje nuo 1413 ligi 1841 m.Straipsnio autorius rašo apie kunigų vienuolių atvykimą į Žemaičių vyskupiją ,jų gyvenimą ir pastoracinę veiklą nuo 1616 iki 1841 m., lygina jų veiklą su šių dienų vienuolių veikla buvusios Žemaičių vyskupijos teritorijoje ir visoje Lietuvoje.

Various changes in the relationship between Lithuania State and the Church were noticable since the very proclamation of Lithuania’s independency. The fights for independency took place. Quite dramatic was the question of Vilnius, changed the 21 st cabinet of Ministers ground reform, the constitution. There were declared Lithuania’s Church provinces, the Concordat. After the Christian-democrats lost the summer election of 1926 the leftists came to power. The power of the nationalists, the attempts of the unexperienced goverment to enter and maintain diplomatic relations with various foreign countries. Very often the relations between the state and the Church are tense. The Constitution guaranteed the rights of the Church, but at the same time the policy towards the Vatican were not very rational. In 1926 the leftists come to power and tried to separate the Church from the State. After the proclamation of the Vatican - Polish Concordat in 1925, according to which the province of Vilnius remained in the structure of Polish Church province, the tensions between the Vatican and Lithuanian government reached the top in 1926. Although archibishop George Matulaitis had been suggesting the solution to the question of the Concordat with the Vatican, the Lithuanian Government were not able to propely estimate their political situation and their own negligence. In 1926 Pope Pius XI proclaimed the encyclical “Lituanorum gente” which declared that there had been formed Lithuanian Church province with new dioceses. The Concordat was ratified and published in “News of Government” on the 20 December, 1927. Lithuania with A. Smetona and A. Voldemaras at the head seemed to be much more disposed towards the Church than the previous led by K. Grinius. New president A.Smetona was much more reliable, but the real intentions of Augustinas Voldemaras were hard to for see. Later the agreements of the Concordat were not kept to. The top of the tense in the relations between Lithuanian Government and the Church was the year 1931, when the government without any discussion with Nuncio archibishop Ricard Bartolini the rights of the realization concord, ordered the diplomat to leave Lithuania immediately. Though giving a lot of possitive results not quite stable were the relations between the Holy Throne and Lithuania. They reflected the erlations of the State with the Church in Lithuania itself. During the changes in government the convictions and opinions of the Church Lithuania’s believers used the rights and freedom guaranteed by the State, but sometimes the rights were restrained or even encrouched upon. In the years 1926- 1936 the relations between Lithuanian State and the Church were very interesting, dinamic and greatly benefited the state itself. It is a pitty, Lithuania not always made proper use of this to increase the country’s international prestige and confidence among the citizens. In 1940 the diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Lithuania were lost because of Soviet power.

Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas valstybės ir Bažnyčios požiūris į santuokos institutą, aptariama santuokos bei šeimos samprata ir jos istorinė raida. Gvildenami pagrindiniai santuokos sudarymo aspektai, akcentuojant.esminius valstybės ir Bažnyčios bendradarbiavimo šioje srityje momentus bei principus.

Straipsnis yra trečioji ir paskutinė darbo „Lietuvos Katalikų Bažnyčios Kronika“ religijos laisvės gynime (1972-1989) dalis. Jame apžvelgiami Kronikoje skelbti kreipimaisi ir jų adresatai, leidinio gavėjų reakcijos, Kronikos įtakos valstybės politikai Bažnyčios atžvilgiu atspindžiai ir jos išlikimas. Kronikoje buvo spausdinami asmeniniai ir kolektyviniai laiškai, pranešimai, prašymai, sveikinimai, padėkos ir protestai, siųsti įvairioms bažnytinėms ir pasaulietinėms institucijoms Lietuvoje, Sovietų Sąjungoje, Vakaruose ir Vatikane. Pati Kronika buvo tarsi nuolatinis, aktyvią reakciją kėlęs kreipimasis į skaitytojus. Po Kronikos atsiradimo valstybė padarė šiek tiek nuolaidų savo politikoje religijos atžvilgiu. Deja, tų nuolaidų priežastis buvo ne antireliginės kovos susilpnėjimas, bet veikiau taktinis manevras, skirtas nuslopinti augantį nepasitenkinimą, nuslėpti ateistinės propagandos stiprėjimą, sustabdyti tikinčiųjų kovą už savo teises ir pakelti Sovietų Sąjungos prestižą. Iki tol ištisus septyniolika metų Kronika trukdė sovietų valdžiai įtikinėti, kad Sovietų Sąjungoje laikomasi Sovietų Konstitucijos garantijų ir Žmogaus teisių deklaracijos nuostatų, kad šioje šalyje egzistuoja religijos laisvė. Priešiškai valdžiai nepavyko sustabdyti Kronikos leidimo. Jos sėkmę lėmė vaisingas redaktorių ir „redakcinės kolegijos“ bendradarbiavimas ir išankstinis veiksmų planavimas. Straipsnio pabaigoje pateikiamos viso trijų dalių darbo bendrosios išvados.

JAV lietuvių vargonininkai įnešė didelį indėlį, puoselėdami svetimame krašte tautines vertybes ir prisidėdami prie liturginės muzikos tradicijų saugojimo bei jų atnaujinimo. Šiame straipsnyje siekiama atskleisti vargonininkų pastangas diegti lietuvišką giedojimą pamaldų metu, apžvelgti jų darbus leidžiant lietuviškus giesmynus, įvertinti nuopelnus derinant Bažnyčios hierarchų reikalavimus ir lietuvių katalikiškos visuomenės poreikius.

Straipsnyje ryškinamos pastoracinės šeimų problemos Lietuvoje. Paliečiamas laikotarpis po Lietuvos atgimimo (1990 - 2003). Remiantis Bažnyčios dokumentais, gvildenami tos problematikos sprendimo būdai, derinant su Bažnyčios sielovados uždaviniai.

At the beginning of XX C, more and more Lithuanians with some knowledge in the sphere of music emigrated to the USA. They were mostly the organists who, having established the Union of American Lithuanian Organists (the UALO), took care not only of church music but also of secular music. The article aims to give a survey of the establishment of the UALO, of its structure and the field of activities. Lithuanian organists cooperated with Polish organists since 1905, but, having decided to establish their own organization, they founded the first group of Lithuanian organists in Chicago in 1909. On May 3 1, 1911, the first convention of Lithuanian organists took place in Baltimore (MD), during which the UALO was established. Its aim was to foster national feelings via hymns and songs, to unify hymn singing in Lithuanian churches, to practice church and secular music, to arrange common concerts, to publish music, to provide organists with support. The UALO was governed by the elected Board. The most deserved organists were granted the title of Honorary member. The organists wanted to attract young people to churches and concert halls. For this reason, during the conventions the delegates discussed the questions of establishment and coordination of youth organizations. The organists would arrange entertainment parties and picnics, in some regions festivals and days of songs started to be held. At the convention of 1932, a special resolution was passed which encouraged the members of the Union to unite young people in choirs, groups of Knights, parish clubs and various circles, to invite talented young people to take up the profession of organist. Organists also inspired the movement of church choirs. When Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union, the organists strove to regain independence by their work, but because of their age and because of the consequences of the WW II, their ranks started decreasing. Never-the-less, vacant positions of organists were taken by new Lithuanian emigrants who came from German DP camps. Until 1954, the conventions of the UALRCO would take place almost every year, later - every second year. The delegates would solve topical problems (c.g., relations between organists and priests, professional questions of organists), would listen to reports. In 1964, it was decided to establish the department of mcm berssupporters, to cooperate with the Governing Body of the Community of American Lithuanians by working up a special programme of studies of Lithuanian philology and also to look for potential organists. In the convention of 1968, the organization was renamed and became the Union of American Lithuanian Roman Catholic organists and other Lithuanian musicians. The corrected Constitution of the Union stated that all Lithuanian musicians regardless of their religion and sex could become members of the organization, while persons having communistic views were not allowed to join it. If some time ago it was required that the members of the organization served the ideas of Catholicism and Lithuanian nationality, since 1968, the organization confined itself to faithfulness to Lithuanian nationality. In 1986, the organists became the minority in the Union, and the organization was named the Union of American Lithuanian Music, while in 1988, it became the Union of the Northern American Lithuanian Music, giving priority to Lithuanian music. Though the last years of the ninth decade the organization was not a numerous one, with the help of its most active members, the Union tried very hard to continue and to foster the work begun by their ancestors.

This article is revealed the Franciscan monastery and first Franciscan foundation in Lithuania and their Holy Mary Church establishment version in Vilnius. activities. Also author presenting a new material of history about first Franciscan foundation in Lithuania and their activities.

Darbe trumpai supažindinama su Prienų parapijos archyvinėmis knygomis, aptariamas jų turinys Prienų parapijoje 20 išsaugotų archyvinių knygų yra vertingi dokumentai, kurie liudija ne vien apie Prienų parapijos praeitį. Tai dokumentai, pasakojantys apie Suvalkijos šiaurės rytų kraštą nuo XVII amžiaus antrosios pusės iki XX amžiaus pradžios.