The visit of Ecumenical (Constantinople) Patriarch

Bartholomew

to Vilnius ended with the signing of an agreement with the Lithuanian authorities.

The agreement envisages concrete steps to institutionalize the structures of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the country, opening opportunities for them to build and rent temple premises free of charge from the state, to carry out missionary, educational and charitable activities.

The clerics of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Lithuania will receive the same legal status as the priests of other traditional denominations of Lithuania.

The document was signed by the Prime Minister of Lithuania

Ingrid Šimanites

with the Patriarchate of Constantinople .

She emphasized that the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will satisfy the appeal of five Lithuanian Orthodox priests, restore their religious status and accept them into the Mother Church after the decision of the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill to exclude them from the clergy.

According to Szymanita, this is an important step in ensuring religious freedom in Lithuania.

She also emphasized that the decision to return the Ecumenical Patriarchate to Lithuania can only be taken by him.

However, she noted that the opportunity to profess one's faith without a conflict of conscience is important not only for Orthodox citizens of Lithuania, of Greek and Ukrainian origin, but also for Ukrainians who fled the war unleashed by Russia, and for Belarusians who moved due to repression in their homeland. to Lithuania.

During the trip, Bartholomew met not only with the representatives of the government, but also with the restored priests and believers.

Earlier, various national societies of Lithuania, including Belarusian and Ukrainian, appealed to Patriarch Bartholomew with a request to establish a local structure of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The church in honor of St. Nicholas in Lukishki was handed over to the Orthodox believers of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Vilnius.

This is one of the few cult buildings that historically belonged to the Orthodox Church, but were not transferred to the property of the local diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, Father Alexander Shramko

wrote on his Telegram channel on the eve of the visit

.

He also informed that on the eve of the visit of the Patriarch of Constantinople, for the first time, a liturgy was held in the building of the said church in the convocation of the priests of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Vilnius.