Lithuania recognized the creation of the exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople by breakaway priests

The Lithuanian government officially approved the exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It was created by a group of priests who broke away from the Vilna-Lithuanian diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate.

“A religious community meets the legal requirements of a new or newly created traditional religious community and can be registered,” said Lithuanian Justice Ministry spokesman Paulus Žemis.

As AFP writes, registration will allow the community to qualify for government financial support, which is distributed annually among traditional religious communities.

Five priests of the Vilna-Lithuanian diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate were previously defrocked by Metropolitan Innocent. They called for a transition to the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople against the backdrop of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople then announced that he was returning the dignity to these five priests.

Leonid Uvarchev