Around 30 parishes and monastic communities of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church have submitted appeals to government officials and members of parliament, opposing legislative initiatives that could change the Church's legal status and lead to the transfer of its churches to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

According to the Lithuanian Orthodox Church's official website, the appeals were signed this week by faithful from Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Visaginas and other cities. Among the signatories are parishioners of the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit and the Convent of St. Mary Magdalene.

The main demand of the faithful is that decisions concerning church affiliation and the future of religious properties should not be made without consulting the communities themselves. The parishioners say they do not intend to join another ecclesiastical jurisdiction and wish to remain part of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church, headed by Metropolitan Innokentiy of Vilnius and Lithuania.

“Our ecclesiastical and canonical ties in no way diminish our civic loyalty to the Lithuanian state,” reads an appeal submitted by parishioners of Vilnius's Church of St. Michael the Archangel.

The faithful also reject allegations that the Church's canonical ties are incompatible with loyalty to Lithuania. They point out that Orthodox parishes are actively involved in charitable work, supporting vulnerable people and families, as well as contributing to the country's educational and cultural life.

The communities warn that the proposed legislative changes could restrict religious freedom and deepen divisions among Orthodox Christians in Lithuania. They have urged lawmakers to uphold equal treatment of religious communities and respect the constitutional guarantees of freedom of conscience and religion.

The appeals follow the registration of two bills in the Lithuanian Seimas. The proposed legislation provides for possible changes to the legal status of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church, as well as the transfer of several churches and the Monastery of the Holy Spirit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The initiatives also concern the Church's recognition as one of Lithuania's traditional religious communities.

Earlier, nine parishes and the brotherhood of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit had already spoken out against the proposals. Additional communities have now joined their opposition, with further appeals expected in the coming weeks.

Amid the parliamentary debate, the Legal Department of the Seimas Chancellery has issued an assessment of the proposed legislation, warning that several of its provisions could conflict with the Lithuanian Constitution.

The Orthodox faithful insist that matters concerning church life and ecclesiastical affiliation must be resolved with respect for the rights and wishes of individual communities, rather than through political intervention.