Justinus Kiviloo, the head of the new Lithuanian Exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, says that his primary task now is to finalise the official registration of the religious community so that it can start functioning as a legal entity.
Kiviloo came to Vilnius from Estonia last week.
“We are already on the homestretch of setting up the exarchate; the first and most important thing is to register the exarchate and obtain the official status of a religious community,” he told BNS on Saturday.
“When we have all the legal rights, we will be able to officially act and work here,” he added.
The Estonian clergyman celebrated his first service as the head of the new Orthodox Church structure in Lithuania at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity on Saturday.
The exarch said that the community, currently gathering in prayer houses of different denominations, will eventually have its own church, which they hope to build with donations.
“I’ve heard that there is an opinion in Lithuania that Russian [Orthodox] churches should be taken away [from the Moscow Patriarchate]. I’m categorically against that. We have to build churches ourselves,” Kiviloo said. “There are plans or an idea. Of course, it will take time, but we’re looking for possibilities.”
According to the exarch, more details about the possible church could be revealed in six months, when organisational matters are finalised.
The steps to set up the Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Lithuania were taken after several priests of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Lithuania, which is subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate, criticised the Church’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine and refused to pray for Patriarch Kirill, a supporter of the war.
The five priests, who now belong to the new exarchate, were accused of canonical offences and defrocked by Metropolitan Innokentiy of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church in 2022.
The Patriarchate of Constantinople then ruled that the priests were removed for their stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rather than for violating church rules.
Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople announced his intention to set up a church structure in Lithuania during his visit to the country last March. The move followed the patriarch’s reinstatement of the five former priests.
Since Orthodox Christians are recognised in Lithuania as one of the nine traditional religious communities, the recognition of the exarchate of Constantinople will not require the parliament’s approval. The decision on its registration will be made by the Justice Ministry.
Among other things, the exarchate’s recognition would grant the organisation access to state financial support allocated to traditional religious communities.
The exarchate in Lithuania comprises ten clergymen and ten communities in different cities and towns.
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