The Moscow Patriarchate poses a serious threat to Lithuania, given the current nature of Russia, the war in Ukraine, and the role of Kirill Gundyayev in these events.

This was stated by Egidijus Kūris, former President of the Constitutional Court of Lithuania, former judge of the European Court of Human Rights, professor at Vilnius University, and one of Lithuania’s leading legal scholars, in an interview with the news portal 15min.

Responding to a question about whether the Russian Orthodox Church truly poses a threat to Lithuania’s national security, as stated in the official assessment by the Lithuanian intelligence services, Egidijus Kūris stressed that the Moscow Patriarchate is an arm of the Russian state and implements its policies.

“It is no secret that this religious community, the Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, is one of the institutions of the Russian state. Let us define this state institution precisely. It is neither the legislative, executive, nor judicial branch of government. Nevertheless, it is a kind of branch of state authority that implements the policies of that state,” he said.

According to the scholar, if the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church over the Church in Lithuania is indeed as extensive as claimed by the Lithuanian intelligence services, it must be neutralised.

“Given the current nature of Russia, the war in Ukraine, the role of Kirill Gundyayev in these events, and everything else, I believe the danger is very serious. Those who control people’s minds and spirits often achieve more than those who control, for example, money or weapons. If this influence is indeed as extensive as our intelligence services claim, it must somehow be neutralised. Exactly how this should be done, I cannot say. I have no ready-made solutions,” he stressed.