More Ukrainians join Lithuanian Church communities, conference in Vilnius hears
A conference in Vilnius discussed changes in Lithuania’s Orthodox communities, the growing number of Ukrainians, and support for the exarchate of the Constantinople Patriarchate.
On February 24, 2026, Vilnius hosted the international conference “Constantinople and Moscow: Transformation of Church Affiliation and the Impact of Imperial Policy,” where participants discussed the religious situation in the country and the influence of geopolitical processes on church life. The Lithuanian outlet Delfi reported this.
The conference brought together politicians, diplomats, theologians, public figures, and members of the clergy from Lithuania, Estonia, and Ukraine. Participants discussed the existence of two Orthodox jurisdictions in the country, as well as questions of church property and the influence of religious structures on the socio-political situation.
Special attention was given to changes in the composition of Orthodox communities. As noted during the conference, since 2022 parishes in Lithuania have been increasingly joined by Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons, as well as people from Belarus. According to participants in the discussion, around 80,000 Ukrainians are currently living in the country, and that number may rise to 100,000.
During the discussions, proposals were also voiced in support of the Lithuanian Exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In the view of some forum participants, expanding the opportunities available to the Constantinople Patriarchate and allowing services to be held in fully functioning churches could alter the position of Orthodox communities in the country.
The Ukrainian experience was also cited as an example. OCU “Metropolitan” Yevstratiy Zoria said that in Ukraine church property belongs not to the “church as an institution,” but to a specific religious community. According to him, the community has legal status and, at a general meeting, can decide which jurisdiction it wishes to belong to while retaining ownership of its church building.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the OCU spokesman had complained that he could not obtain full access to the churches and caves of the Kyiv Caves Lavra.
