Today Pope Francis received in audience Dalia Grybauskaite, president of the Republic of Lithuania, who subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States.
According to a statement from the Vatican press office, during the discussions, “appreciation was expressed for the positive contribution of the Catholic Church to Lithuanian society.”
The leaders also discussed “European integration, the need for greater solidarity between nations to face various current challenges, the reception of migrants in Europe, peace and security at regional and international level, the conflict in Ukraine, and the situation in the Middle East, with particular reference to Syria and the Holy Land.”
Lithuania is more than three-quarters Catholic (77%) with another 4% of the population being Russian Orthodox.
