Juozapas Skvireckas (18 September 1873 – 3 December 1959) was a Lithuanian archbishop of Kaunas (1926–1959). ^[1]

Skvireckas was born in Pašilaičiai ^[2] or near Pumpėnai. ^[3] He attended high school in Panevėžys and the seminary at Žemaičių Kalvarija, ^[3] and he was ordained in 1899. ^[2] During the First World War, he performed pastoral duties in Smolensk and Tula. ^[3] He was made a titular bishop in 1919, and in 1925 he became archbishop of Kaunas. ^[2]

From 1911 to 1937, he translated the Bible into Lithuanian; it was published in six volumes by the Society of Saint Casimir. ^[4] During the occupation of the Baltic States by the Nazis, Skvireckas and his assistant, Bishop Vincentas Brizgys, initially welcomed the Nazis. ^[5] Skvireckas provided chaplains for Lithuanian-manned Nazi auxiliary units. ^[6] Later, however, Skvireckas issued multiple protests to Nazi authorities regarding the conditions of the Catholic Church in Lithuania. ^[7] He also sent reports to the Vatican, and in 1942 he started receiving instructions from the papal office. ^[7] He intervened on behalf of the Jewish population, ^[3] and in 1942 it was reported he was wounded by the Nazis in an incident that left another priest dead ^[3]—however, it was in fact Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys that had been injured. ^[8] In 1944, Skvireckas, Brizgys and over 200 other Lithuanian clergymen left Kaunas with retreating German forces and went into exile. ^[6] He settled in Austria, where he died in Zams in 1959. ^{[2] [9]} After his death, the post of (arch)bishop of Kaunas was vacant until 1989.

References

• Archbishop Juozapas Skvireckas
• THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KAUNAS

Further reading

• "Arkivyskupas Juozas Skvireckas" by Arūnas Streikus, "Kauno Arkivyskupijos Naujienos", No. 3, winter of 1999
• Church Institution during the Period of Nazi Occupation in Lithuania Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine
• Archbishop Skvireckas's diary, 1941 m. Birželio sukilimas (collection documents), ed. V. Brandišauskas, Vilnius, 2000
• Vilma Narkutė, The Confrontation Between the Lithuanian Catholic Church and the Soviet Regime, New Blackfriars, Volume 87 Issue 1011, pages 456–475, 2006

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