The Lithuanian Orthodox Church has strongly opposed proposed legislative changes that could pave the way for the transfer of several historic Orthodox churches and monasteries to the Lithuanian Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, warning that the measures could undermine believers’ rights and intensify religious tensions.

The Church’s Council held an emergency meeting on October 17 following the registration of two legislative initiatives in the Lithuanian parliament a day earlier. The proposals were introduced by Audronius Ažubalis and Arvydas Anušauskas, members of the conservative Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats party, according to the Church’s official website.

The first bill seeks to revise the criteria for granting state recognition to religious communities, taking national security and public order considerations into account. In particular, it proposes restrictions on recognition for organizations whose administrative centers are linked to entities subject to international sanctions or national restrictive measures, or whose activities are considered a threat to state security.

The second bill concerns the legal ownership of historic religious properties. It would establish a legal basis for transferring certain Orthodox churches and monasteries to the Lithuanian Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The proposal also covers mosques, which could be transferred to the Muftiate, Lithuania’s spiritual center for Sunni Muslims.

The Orthodox properties affected by the initiative include the Holy Spirit Monastery, the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God, St. Nicholas Church and St. Paraskeva (Pyatnitskaya) Church in Vilnius, a monastery in Surdegis, and the Church of the Dormition in Vievis.

The Lithuanian Orthodox Church’s Council issued a strong protest against the proposed changes, arguing that they could restrict the rights of the country’s existing Orthodox community and shift the representation of Lithuanian Orthodox believers to structures affiliated with the Constantinople Patriarchate.

Church representatives also expressed concern that the proposed legislation could call into question the Church’s status as a traditional religious community in Lithuania. They warned that the measures could provoke confrontation between religious groups and deepen divisions within Lithuanian society.

The dispute follows a statement issued by the Lithuanian Orthodox Church’s Chancellery on October 14 in response to an analytical study by the organization Libertas Fidei, which addressed national security issues and the activities of the Orthodox community.

At the time, the Church argued that allegations suggesting a religious community posed a threat to the state should be supported by concrete facts and evidence rather than assumptions. It also called on political actors not to exploit religious disagreements for political purposes.

In response to the latest developments, Metropolitan Innokenty of Vilnius and Lithuania has called on the faithful to intensify their prayers. With his blessing, parishes and monasteries will hold weekly prayer services and akathist hymns dedicated to the Mother of God.

The proposed legislation has brought questions of religious recognition, national security and the ownership of historic sacred sites to the forefront of public debate in Lithuania. The Orthodox Church maintains that any changes affecting religious communities and their property must respect the rights of believers and avoid exacerbating existing divisions.