Kauno arkivyskupija marks 100th Easter since its establishment

This year’s Easter celebrations in the Archdiocese of Kaunas coincide with the 100th anniversary of its founding, as Pope Pius XI issued the apostolic constitution Lituanorum gente on April 4, 1926, establishing the Lithuanian Ecclesiastical Province and the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kaunas, LRT.lt reports.

Archbishop Kęstutis Kėvalas reflected on the milestone, calling it an opportunity to recognise the enduring impact of the Pope’s decision, which reshaped the Church’s structure in Lithuania and provided a new direction for Catholic life in the country, where the majority of the population was Catholic at the time.

“This 100-year span allows us to see the unending Easter of the Lord at work in our history,” Kėvalas wrote in a statement. “He has guided us toward the heart of the Universal Church.”

A historic shift in Church governance

The apostolic constitution Lituanorum gente returned the Lithuanian Church to direct subordination under the Holy See, ending its dependence on foreign dioceses. Previously, Lithuanian parishes had been divided among four dioceses—Vilnius, Sejny (Seinų), Samogitia (Žemaičių), and Warmia (Varmės)—whose jurisdictions extended beyond Lithuania’s borders.

The 1926 reform established the Ecclesiastical Province of Lithuania, comprising the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kaunas and four suffragan dioceses: Kaišiadorys, Panevėžys, Telšiai (including the Prelature of Klaipėda), and Vilkaviškis. The boundaries of the new dioceses aligned with those of the Republic of Lithuania, enabling more effective religious administration and direct communication with the Vatican.

At its founding, the Archdiocese of Kaunas included 10 deaneries with 74 parishes (and 38 subsidiary churches), serving nearly 430,000 faithful. Archbishop Juozapas Jonas Skvireckas, appointed as its first metropolitan, faced the challenge of implementing the constitution’s provisions. Skvireckas was also recognised for his translation of the Bible from Latin into Lithuanian.

Century-long aspirations for ecclesiastical independence

The push for an independent Church province predated 1926. As early as 1921, Pranciškus Karevičius, Bishop of Samogitia since 1914, had travelled to Rome to advocate for its establishment. The roots of the Archdiocese of Kaunas trace further back to 1863, when Tsarist authorities relocated the Diocese of Samogitia to Kaunas—closer to the governor’s oversight—along with its bishop, Motiejus Valančius, and its seminary.

Pope Pius XI, elected in 1922, had prior ties to Lithuania as the apostolic visitor assigned to the country. During his 1920 visit to Kaunas, he assessed the religious and political climate, later declaring at a reception in Kaunas Cathedral: “The bond between the Apostolic See and Lithuania, the love uniting the faithful Lithuanian people with the Holy Father, magnifies today’s celebration. The Holy Father has always cared for Lithuania, your sufferings, misfortunes, and tears.”