Lithuania allocates €1.9 million in state funding to traditional religious communities

The Lithuanian Ministry of Finance has distributed €1.9 million in state grants to 18 traditional religious communities, matching last year’s allocation, LRT reports.

The largest share—€1.751 million—was assigned to the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference, consistent with previous years. This year, the two Orthodox communities will receive nearly equal funding: the Lithuanian Orthodox Archdiocese (under the Moscow Patriarchate) is set to get €49,870, while the Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Lithuania will receive €41,430. In 2025, the former received €72,800 and the latter €18,500, with the difference justified by their varying sizes.

Other allocations include €16,700 for the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian Old Believers’ Church, €1,600 for the Vilnius Old Believers’ religious community, and €16,200 for the Consistory of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithuania. The Evangelical Reformed Church of Lithuania will receive €7,700.

Smaller grants were assigned to the Greek Catholic Basilian Monastery of St. Joseph in Vilnius (€3,700), the Lithuanian Karaite religious community (€3,200), and multiple Muslim and Jewish communities. The Council of Lithuanian Muslim Religious Communities (Muftiate) will receive €1,930, while the Sunni Spiritual Centre of Lithuania (Muftiate) is allocated €1,610. Local Muslim communities in Nemėžis, Klaipėda, and Vilnius will share €1,260. Jewish communities across Lithuania, including in Vilnius, Kaunas, Panevėžys, and Šiauliai, will collectively receive €3,390.

State financial support for traditional religious communities in Lithuania is distributed annually.