On 23–24 February, marking the anniversary of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the conference “Constantinople and Moscow: Transformation of Church Affiliation and the Influence of Imperial Policy” will take place at the Chodkiewicz Palace in Vilnius.
The conference will feature presentations by Lithuanian, Estonian, and Ukrainian scholars and senior religious leaders addressing the following issues:
- why Lithuania needs ecclesiastical independence, especially during Putin’s expansionist offensive;
- historical aspects of the development of Orthodoxy in Lithuania during the period when it was under the Ecumenical Patriarchate;
- the nature of relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and how the condition of Orthodoxy changed with the arrival of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Baltic states;
- existing models of ecclesiastical independence and the political and legal challenges that arise when proclaiming autocephaly;
- the role of religion in geopolitics, the origins of the “Russian world” ideology and its impact on regional security;
- the situation of the Ukrainian Church and the role of the Russian Orthodox Church during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
As part of the conference, on 23 February at 16:00 an opening of the photo exhibition “Religion and War” will take place near Vilnius Town Hall. The exhibition is based on materials from countries that have fallen victim to religious aggression, terrorism, and totalitarian regimes.
The exhibition stands will display documentary photographs, archival materials, quotations from official statements, and eyewitness accounts demonstrating the use of religion as an instrument of war and repression in the Middle East, in Africa, and during Russia’s occupation of territories of Ukraine.
The event is held under the patronage of the Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Juozas Olekas.
Conference participants will include the Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, one of the most authoritative figures of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Metropolitan Yevstratii of Bila Tserkva of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Archpriest Vitalijus Mockus of the Lithuanian Exarchate, and the Orthodox Christian Institute for Education.
The conference is organized and supported by the Jerzy Giedroyc Dialogue and Cooperation Forum, the Institute of Orthodox Christian Education and Research, the International Center for the Study of Religious Freedom Libertas Fidei, VšĮ “Stiprūs kartu”, VšĮ KOIC, LRT, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.
The conference will be held in Lithuanian, Ukrainian, and English with interpretation provided. The program is available at the following link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SlYjGvtn03PoK868p8zF07rG4CxE4Sy1/view
