Today we are going to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of Blessed Pope John Paul II’s visit to Lithuania.
Your Excellency President Valdas Adamkus,
The first Head of the re-established state of Lithuania, Vytautas Landsbergis,
The Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi,
Hierarchs and representatives of Lithuanian Churches,
Signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania,
Current and former Cabinet members,
Colleagues parliamentarians,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It was twenty years ago that a prominent and great personality – His Holiness Pope John Paul II came to visit Lithuania.
It was in 1993. Two years before that Lithuania had regained its independence by paying with the blood of our freedom fighters for it. Just a few days prior to the visit of His Holiness, the last unit of the Russian Army had eventually left the territory of Lithuania.
Lithuania was making the first steps of its statehood. Slowly, but resolutely. However, it was a complicated period for both the state and its people. In this chamber today I can see quite a number of eye-witnesses of that period who should remember and testify that.
Therefore, the Pope‘s visit during that difficult period, in 1993, was extremely important and meaningful. Not only for the community of the faithful, but, rather, for the whole country. John Paul II continually supported our country: our aspirations for freedom, our desire to throw off the yoke of Soviet occupation, and liberate ourselves from the consistent persecution and occupation. The Holy Father continually expressed his solidarity with the “silent Church” in the countries where faith was being discouraged. We experienced this here, in Lithuania, as well.
It is no wonder that his Holiness was followed by immense crowds of people wherever he went. It was the view that one could see perhaps only in the meetings organised by the Reform Movement Sajūdis. People were gathering just to take a glance at the Pope. To pray together with him. To be where he was. To feel the warmth and benignity beaming from him and receive his calmness.
I believe that the spirit of that time, that euphoria, is still with us today. Maybe it has been slightly faded by all those years and the abundance of events but it is still alive and immortal. You could hardly find any other person whose visit to Lithuania would have given us more light and blessing than the visit of his Holiness.
The fact that the Holy Father was pronouncing the words of greetings, homilies and giving speeches mostly in Lithuanian is of particular significance to us. This can be explained by our experience of those five decades when an alien language had been forcefully thrusted on us in an attempt to ignore and altogether eliminate our native language by assigning a status of a second-class or even a somehow lower language to it.
And, finally, His Holiness‘ statement that, “after a long period of suffering, Lithuania is becoming a state – symbol, which urges people to look for solutions for the conflicts that are tearing the Continent apart through negotiations.”
This is nothing else but the appreciation of all our efforts. The assurance that we are on the right way and that we can be an example to others. Those were the words that we really needed back in 1993. The words from the Pope‘s lips flew around the whole world, once again strengthening us and attaching meaning to our actions, our aspirations and our determination to live the way we choose ourselves.
“Do not be afraid,” His Holiness repeatedly told us. That was what Lithuania needed twenty years ago and what it still needs today. While recalling John Paul II‘s encouragement, let us not be afraid and move forward creating the brave, thrusting and modern Lithuania that has preserved its identity.
