Seimas Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen met with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Monday to discuss relations between Lithuania and the Holy See, the role of the Catholic Church, and aid to Ukrainian war refugees.
“Grateful for the audience with His Holiness Pope Francis. His call to end war resonates deeply. Lithuania values the Holy See’s support, prayers for Ukraine, and aid to war refugees. Let’s unite for a world free from aggression,” the parliament posted on X (former Twitter) after the meeting.
She said in a press release that “recently, Pope Francis transferred 100,000 euros to Caritas Lithuania for the needs of refugees”.
Grateful for the audience with His Holiness Pope Francis. His call to end war resonates deeply. Lithuania values the Holy See's support, prayers for Ukraine, and aid to war refugees. Let's unite for a world free from aggression. 🙏🕊️ pic.twitter.com/xlkpgsUErE
— Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen (@VCmilyte) November 13, 2023
Čmilytė-Nielsen underlined Lithuania’s call on the international community to support President Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace plan.
“If Ukraine does not win, war may come to Lithuania one day,” she said.
According to the Seimas speaker, Lithuania and the Holy See have a special relationship.
“Our people saw the Pope's visit in 2018 as an exceptional sign of support for Lithuania on the occasion of our 100th anniversary of statehood restoration,” Čmilytė-Nielsen said.
“Last year, we celebrated the centenary of the Holy See's de jure recognition of Lithuania, an important occasion that strengthened the ties between our nation and the Catholic Church,” she added.
On Sunday, Čmilytė-Nielsen attended a reception to mark the Feast of St. Josaphat. She also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state.
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