Religion

Lithuania is a country dominated by the Roman Catholic Church. Over 80% of the population consider themselves Catholics.

The conversion of Lithuania is officially considered to have taken place in 1387, when Jogaila, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, having become King of Poland,

christianized the country in accordance with the sacraments of Roman Catholicism, together with Vytautas, another Grand Duke of the Gediminas Dynasty. The name of Vytautas is mentioned in connection with the Moslem religion brought by the Tatars, who served in his army, and also the religion of the Karaims.

Total religious tolerance prevailed within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Not only were orthodox churches and mosques constructed, but Jewish synagogues as well; Jews began to settle in Lithuania as early as the 15th century.

Calvinism and Lutheranism started to spread to Lithuania in the 16th century, but Catholicism regained its dominant status in the 17th century. Currently, members of the evangelical reformed faith are most densely situated in northern Lithuania, and the evangelical Lutherans in the southwestern areas of the country.

The 19th century proved to be particularly difficult for Catholicism, since the occupying authorities of the Russian Czar subjected the church to official persecution and destruction. During that period, the Russian Orthodox Church, with the Russian Old Believer Church, was expanding its power throughout Lithuania.

The years of the Soviet occupation proved to be even more difficult for Catholicism, as the totalitarian state implemented a policy of forced atheism and "scientific communism": the sanctuary of major importance, Vilnius Cathedral, was closed and the Archbishop of Vilnius was banished to a provincial area. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church accomplished a great deal in the preservation of the identity of the country and even of Lithuanian culture itself. The underground publication, The Chronicle of the Catholic Church of Lithuania, published from 1972 right up to national rebirth in 1988, became a herald, well-known abroad, of a disdained nation and church.

Currently, along with the Catholics, there exist in Lithuania the Russian Old Believers and the Russian Orthodox, Jewish, Karaim and Islamic communities, which were traditionally established. Currently, new forms of the Christian religion are also becoming known.

Representatives of some 47 religious denominations live in Lithuania. The number of parishes of traditional faiths consist of: 684 Catholic; 58 Russian Old Believer; 41 Russian Orthodox; 53 Evangelical Lutherans; 11 Evangelical Reformed; 5 Jewish.