The Lithuanian President took part in a national pilgrimage to celebrate the Jubilee. In this country, 74% of the population declare themselves Catholic. During his visit to the Vatican, he met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State.
Hi, Mr. President. Welcome. Welcome.
This was the first visit by a head of state during Pope Francis' convalescence in the hospital. Parolin had gone to visit the Pope at Gemelli the day before. He is one of the few who is visiting the Pope with some regularity.
Relations between the two states were resumed in 1991, with the fall of the Soviet bloc. Two years later, Pope John Paul II visited Lithuania. Decades later, another pope, Pope Francis, travelled there. It was in September 2018. One of the most emotional moments of the trip was the prayer he offered for the victims of the Nazi and Soviet occupations and in memory of the martyrs.
POPE FRANCIS
In this place of memory, we implore you, Lord, that your cry may keep us awake. May your cry, Lord, free us from the spiritual disease by which, as a people, we are always tempted: to forget our fathers, what has been lived and suffered.
It is estimated that, during the Soviet regime, more than 200,000 people from Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia were deported to Siberia or forced to flee abroad.
JRB
TR: GS
