Lutheran Archbishop of Latvia: There is a place in the Church even for LGBT

Archbishop of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Rinalds Grants. Photo: Edijs Pālens/LETA

Archbishop of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Rinalds Grants. Photo: Edijs Pālens/LETA

On 20 September 2025, Archbishop Rinalds Grants of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church (LELC) said in an interview with TV24 that the Church must be open to everyone, including homosexual people, Otkrito.lv reported.

“If a person is seeking God and wants support, then their place is in the Church. And it does not matter what that person’s sexual orientation is,” the Archbishop emphasized.

At the same time, speaking about abortion, Grants took a firm stance. According to him, the right to life is a sacred value and cannot be subject to human choice. “We ourselves might not be here, because our parents too could have had reasons to fear and reject this gift of life. I do not know who else could speak for these unborn children if not the Church,” the Archbishop said.

It should be noted that Archbishop Rinalds Grants has served as head of the LELC since 8 June 2025. The new Archbishop is a former criminal investigator with the police and worked at the Latvian office of Interpol.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Vice President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference called to “restore dignity” to homosexual Catholics and spoke of the blessing of Pope Leo.

Medieval сhurch сrumbles as Culture Ministry сites missing agreement

The 14th–15th-century St. Nicholas Church in Chesnyky, Ivano-Frankivsk Region, is falling into disrepair.

Poland сondemns Lviv Regional Council's decision to declare 2007 year of UPA

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says the Lviv Regional Council's decision to dedicate 2027 to the UPA and Roman Shukhevych is harmful to Ukraine.

OCU seeks court recognition of ownership of seized Cherkasy cathedral

The Cherkasy Regional Commercial Court will hear an OCU lawsuit seeking ownership of St. Michael's Cathedral, which was seized from UOC believers.

Lithuanian bishop: Ukraine is no model for believers' rights

Vicar of Vilnius Diocese voices concern over attempts to import Ukraine's religious conflict into Lithuania.

Hundreds of believers honor St. Alexis of Carpatho-Russia in Khust Eparchy

At the St. Nicholas Monastery in the village of Iza-Karputlash, Metropolitan Mark of Khust led a festive liturgy, concelebrated by six metropolitans, five archbishops and three bishops.

Court upholds UOC parish appeal in Voloshky over OCU switch dispute

The Northern Commercial Court of Appeal has upheld the appeal of the St. Nicholas parish of the UOC in the village of Voloshky, Volyn region, in a dispute over a transfer to the OCU.