Vilnius district council again rejects renaming streets named after priest convicted of pedophilia

Vilnius District Municipal Council has once more declined to rename streets bearing the name of Polish priest Henryk Gulbinowicz, who was found guilty of child sexual abuse, LRT reports.

In Friday’s vote, a proposal to rename one of the streets in Buivydžiai after the locality itself received 12 votes in favour, six against, and 12 abstentions—falling short of the required majority. A second proposal to rename another street after Gabrielius Janas Mincevičius was supported by 14 council members, opposed by five, and saw 11 abstentions, also failing to pass.

The issue had been scheduled for discussion in late March but was postponed pending the results of a public survey among local residents. The streets in question are located in Nemenčinė town and Buivydžiai eldership.

Gulbinowicz, a former archbishop of Wrocław, was sanctioned by the Vatican in 2020 for sexually abusing minors. His name remains on multiple streets in Lithuania, prompting repeated calls for renaming.