- Title: Baltic pagans ask Pope Francis to promote tolerance for their faith
- Date: 24th September 2018
- Summary: BAND PLAYING WITH POPE FRANCIS AND VEJONIS WALKING IN BACKGROUND POPE FRANCIS WALKING TOWARDS MONUMENT WITH VEJONIS
- Embargoed: 8th October 2018 16:07
- Keywords: Pope Francis papal trip to Baltic states Catholic church Catholicism pagan religion neo-paganism
- Location: VILNIUS AND KULIONYS, LITHUANIA / RIGA, LATVIA
- City: VILNIUS AND KULIONYS, LITHUANIA / RIGA, LATVIA
- Country: Lithuania
- Topics: Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0038YZL92X
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: In advance of Pope Francis' visit to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, heads of pagan groups in two of the three countries wrote him a letter asking him to respect their right to practice their faith.
The letter, signed by the krive, or high priestess of the Lithuanian Romuva religion and the leader of the Latvian Dievturu faith, asks the pope to promote tolerance among his followers for the religions in their respective countries as they seek recognition from their governments.
Krive Inija Trinkuniene says her Romuva group now has some 23 communities across Lithuania, and thinks that the total number of worshippers in the country may number more than 10,000.
Trinkuniene said they have not as yet received a reply. State recognition in Lithuania would give Romuva the same status as smaller denominations such as Mormons and Pentecostalists.
Other denominations such as Catholics, Orthodox, Jews and Muslims are both recognised by the state and have certain privileges such as being able to perform ceremonies such as marriages which are recognised by the state, as well as accessing some kinds of state support.
According to Lithuanian legislation on recognising religious groups, a group must have been officially registered for at least 25 years before it is eligible to apply.
Romuva, which was officially registered in 1992, a year after Lithuania broke away from the Soviet Union, has therefore been eligible for state recognition for the past year.
The pope visited Latvia on Monday (September 24) while on his tour of the three Baltic countries. He will conclude his trip in neighbouring Estonia on Tuesday (September 25).
The area now occupied by the Baltic states was among the last in Europe to be converted from paganism to Christianity, largely through a series of crusades in the late Middle Ages. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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