Bills aimed at limiting the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate and addressing ownership issues concerning historic religious buildings have been registered in Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas.

Christian Democrat Audronius Ažubalis, one of the authors of the legislative initiative, announced this on his Facebook page.

According to Ažubalis, he submitted the bills together with his colleague Arvydas Anušauskas.

The lawmakers believe the issue concerns both national security and historical justice.

“Russia uses not only propaganda and intelligence networks but also religious institutions to expand its influence. The Lithuanian State Security Department’s 2026 National Threat Assessment highlights the Moscow Patriarchate’s influence over dioceses subordinate to it abroad, including the Diocese of Vilnius and Lithuania,” the lawmaker stressed.

The authors therefore propose establishing clear criteria for granting state recognition to religious communities and defining by law the representation of traditional religious communities in Lithuania. State recognition should be based on clear legal criteria that take national security interests into account.

The second bill seeks to address ownership issues involving historic religious buildings, taking into consideration the historical rights of Lithuania’s religious communities and their internal regulations.

“We propose establishing a legal framework for transferring specific historic Orthodox holy sites to the Lithuanian Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. These include the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Churches of St. Paraskeva and St. Nicholas, the Holy Spirit monasteries in Vilnius and Surdegis, and the Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in Vievis. We also propose resolving ownership issues concerning mosques in Kaunas, the village of Keturiasdešimt Totorių (Forty Tatars), and Nemėžis by providing for their transfer to the Spiritual Centre of Sunni Muslims of Lithuania, the Muftiate,” the statement reads.

According to the authors, the initiative aims to safeguard freedom of religion, establish clear legal regulations governing the rights of historic religious communities, and ensure that state recognition and the legal framework governing religious institutions are consistent with Lithuania’s national security interests.

As LF previously reported, an international analytical study entitled The Use of Religion as an Instrument of Influence and a Security Threat to Lithuania and Europe in the Context of Russian Military Aggression was presented in Vilnius.

Religious organisations may be used by Russia to spread political influence, propaganda and disinformation, and their activities must also be examined from a national security perspective. These issues were discussed during the presentation of the study conducted by the Libertas Fidei International Centre for the Study of Religi