Speaker of the Seimas at the Vatican: ‘Power lies in unity towards our common goal’

Press release, 12 November 2023 

At the reception to mark the Feast of St Josaphat, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, said that in the face of the challenges of today, the life of this visionary Saint reminds us about the strength that lies in the unity for our common goal and in our renewed commitment to the values, which St Josaphat ardently championed and which transcend borders and resonate in the shared pursuit of a world grounded in justice and freedom.

‘St Josaphat, a son of the Ukrainian soil, made a conscious choice to follow his spiritual path in Vilnius, Lithuania, and played a pivotal role in establishing and spreading the Greek Rite Catholicism across the vast territory of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations and in shaping the religious fabric of the region’, said Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen at the reception.

According to the Speaker of the Seimas, the life and work of St Josaphat are as relevant as ever, especially within the context of the war in Ukraine.

‘We must view Russia’s aggression against Ukraine not only as an affront to a sovereign nation, but also as a direct existential threat to the freedom of religion and the idea of self-determination that demands our collective attention and action. It is crucial to remind the world that this unprovoked madness was initiated by Russia alone, and the responsibility to stop it lies squarely on Russia’s shoulders,’ said Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen.

Photo by Ilona Šilenkova, Office of the Seimas

The Speaker of the Seimas took the opportunity to underline that Lithuania had seen time and again the profound impact of His Holiness on the world. ‘We express gratitude for the Holy See’s unwavering attention to the suffering Ukrainian nation, support to the Ukrainian Catholic Church as well as to the refugees across Europe. Your assistance is a beacon of hope in these challenging times. Let us unite in our commitment to support Ukraine and in our collective pursuit of a future, where peace, justice, and respect for sovereignty prevail,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen concluded at the Basilian Monastery of St Josaphat.

Photo by Ilona Šilenkova, Office of the Seimas

The agenda of the second day of Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen’s visit to the Vatican includes an audience with Pope Francis as well as meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of the State of the Vatican City, and H.E. Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta. Later, the Speaker of the Seimas is going to visit the Embassy of Lithuania to the Holy See, the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore), the Chapel of the Monumental Cemetery of Verano as well as the exhibition May They All Be One dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of St Josaphat Kuntsevych held at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Photo by Ilona Šilenkova, Office of the Seimas

Ilona Petrovė, Spokesperson for Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6030, mob. +370 698 42071, e-mail: [email protected] www.lrs.lt