Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of fully restored diplomatic relations between Lithuania and the Vatican. According to the President, Lithuania has always felt the Vatican's support, especially in the most difficult moments. Today, in the face of newly emerging challenges, the Pope's encouragement is very important, too. During the audience, Dalia Grybauskaitė invited the Holy Father to visit Lithuania.
"The people of Lithuania have always felt the Vatican's spiritual support – both in defending freedom and building their state. Today Pope Francis' moral authority and leadership contribute to important changes that Lithuania, Europe and the whole world need to advance peace, the well-being, mutual concord, and unity of people. The Holy Father's new approach, his personal example and encouragement are important to all who relentlessly defend freedom and human rights, fight for a more transparent and fairer life and build a responsible and more merciful society," the President said.
Today Lithuania and the Vatican focus on the on-going conflicts in the world, on tensions in our region as well as on the need to strengthen the United Nations and its role in resolving conflicts and to ensure humanitarian assistance to people fleeing from poverty and war.
Lithuania and the Vatican are concerned about the situation in Ukraine suffering from aggression. The Pope has referred to the war in eastern Ukraine as fratricidal, calling for the restoration of peace in accordance with international law.
The flow of refugees to Europe is also a common concern. The Pope was among the first to respond to the huge increase of migrant deaths in the Mediterranean, urging the European Union to develop coherent migration policies which would not only help asylum seekers but would also protect EU citizens' rights. The Pope has called on all European parishes to take in at least one refugee family. In Lithuania, the Catholic Church and Caritas have been taking care of war refugees and helping them to integrate into society for more than fifteen years now.
Both the Lithuanian President and the Pope underscore the importance of fighting corruption, reducing social exclusion and promoting the spirit of community.
According to the President, mercy and compassion have become particularly important in the face of geopolitical threats. Pope Francis has announced Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016, and Vilnius is known as the City of Divine Mercy. Dalia Grybauskaitė presented the Pope with the images of two most venerated paintings in Lithuania – Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, Mother of Mercy, and the Divine Mercy. The reproduction of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn also decorates the Lithuanian Chapel at the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
Dalia Grybauskaitė also presented Pope Francis with a children-decorated glass jar of honey from her bee hives.
Later, the President met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.
This is the fourth visit by the President to the Vatican. The first bilateral meeting between Dalia Grybauskaitė and the head of the Roman Catholic Church took place in 2010 when the President met with Pope Benedict XVI. She also attended the inauguration of Pope Francis in 2013 and the ceremony of the canonization of Pope John Paul II held a year later.
