Juozapas Skvireckas

Juozapas Skvireckas (1873–1959) was a Lithuanian archbishop of Kaunas (1926–1959).[1]

His Excellency

Juozapas Skvireckas
Archbishop of Kaunas
ChurchRoman Catholic
ArchdioceseKaunas
Appointed5 April 1926
In office1926–1959
SuccessorVincentas Sladkevičius
Orders
Ordination24 June 1899
Consecration13 July 1919
by Antanas Karosas
Personal details
Born(1873-09-18)September 18, 1873
Pašilaičiai, Vilnius, Russian Empire
DiedDecember 3, 1959(1959-12-03) (aged 86)
Austria
NationalityLithuanian

In 1911–1937 he translated the Bible into the Lithuanian language; it was published in six volumes by the Society of Saint Casimir.[2] During the occupation of the Baltic States by the Nazis, Skvireckas and his assistant, bishop Vincentas Brizgys, welcomed the Nazis.[3] Skvireckas would provide chaplains for Lithuanian-manned Nazi auxiliary units.[4] In later years however Skvireckas issued multiple protests to Nazi authorities regarding the conditions of the Catholic church in Lithuania.[5] He also sent reports to Vatican and since 1942 started receiving instructions from papal office.[5] In 1944, Skvireckas, Brizgys and over 200 other Lithuanian clergymen left Kaunas with retreating German forces, and went into exile.[4] He would settle in Austria, where he died in 1959.[6] After his death, the post of an (arch)bishop of Kaunas was vacant till 1989.

References

Further reading

Preceded by
Pranciškus Karevičius, MIC (1914–1926)
Archbishop of Kaunas
19261959
Succeeded by
Vincentas Sladkevičius


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