The Catholic Church in Lithuania is preparing to celebrate the centenary of the creation of the Ecclesiastical Province of Kaunas, an anniversary that Leo XIV has chosen to commemorate by recalling the witness of fidelity offered by Lithuanian Catholics throughout one of the most turbulent periods in European history.
On the occasion of the events to be held on 27 June in Kaunas Cathedral, the Pope has sent a letter to Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, appointed as his special envoy to preside over the celebrations.
Although the papal letter formally focuses on the centenary of the ecclesiastical province, the historical context gives the commemoration a much deeper meaning. The ecclesiastical structure was created on 4 April 1926, barely two decades before Lithuania was caught between the devastating consequences of the Second World War and the subsequent Soviet occupation.
For decades, the Lithuanian Church suffered restrictions, state surveillance, closures of religious institutions and persecutions directed against priests, religious and the faithful. Despite this, Catholicism remained one of the main elements of national identity and spiritual resistance against the communist regime.
In his message, Leo XIV highlights precisely how the Church has contributed not only to the growth of the Catholic faith, but also to the moral and social development of the Lithuanian people. The Pontiff recalls that the Gospel offers goods capable of strengthening justice, coexistence and charity, helping to overcome divisions and to build a more humane society.
The Pope further underlines that the ecclesiastical province of Kaunas has reached this centenary thanks to the persevering work of generations of pastors and faithful who kept the faith alive in especially difficult circumstances. The reference takes on particular resonance in a country whose Church became one of the symbols of resistance against the atheism imposed by Soviet power.
For this reason, Leo XIV has asked Archbishop Gallagher to convey to Lithuanian Catholics his closeness and gratitude, encouraging them to continue promoting justice, peace and charity in the current context.
The Pontiff also exhorts the faithful to remain steadfast in Christian values and to continue offering their contribution to public life, convinced that faith remains a force capable of strengthening the social fabric and fostering reconciliation among people.
The centenary celebration will bring together bishops, priests, civil authorities and numerous faithful in Kaunas, a city that occupies a prominent place in the contemporary history of the Lithuanian Church and that symbolizes the perseverance of a Catholic community that managed to survive the persecutions of the twentieth century without renouncing its religious identity.