is the heart of
Christian spiritual life in Lithuania.
Catholic Church According to the 2021 census, 74% of Lithuanians belonged to the
Catholic Church, Lithuania kept its Catholic identity under the
Russian Empire and later under the
Soviet Union when some Catholic priests led the resistance against the Communist regime, which is commemorated in the
Hill of Crosses near
Šiauliai, a shrine to the anti-communist resistance.
Greek Catholics The center of
Greek Catholic life in Lithuania is the Basilian Monastery and Church of the Holy Trinity in Vilnius. In the past, the monastery was multiethnic but now serves a mostly Ukrainian community.
Protestantism In the 16th century, Protestantism began spreading rapidly in Lithuania. The first wave of Protestantism was Lutheranism that reached Lithuania through
Prussia; the second wave was Calvinism that mostly spread through
Poland. This was because many Lithuanians had a relatively poor understanding of Catholic beliefs as there were few Lithuanian-speaking priests at the time. In addition, many sons of influential Lithuanian nobles would study abroad in Germany where they would learn about the ideas of
Reformation. When they returned home, they would oftentimes use their
right of patronage to confiscate Catholic churches and give them to pastors, convert their serfs either to Lutheranism or Calvinism. In 1536, the prevalence of Protestantism grew even more as the
Radziwiłł, Billewicz, and
Chodkiewicz families left the
Roman Catholic Church. However, Protestantism in
Lithuania Proper eventually lost ground as it failed to secure the support from the local clergymen and were at odds with one another, which weakened their positions in the country. There were also religious persecutions, which caused many Lithuanian pastors to flee to Lithuania Minor. Despite this, Protestantism remained to have a strong presence in Lithuania Proper until the late 17th century. Today
Protestants make up 0.8%, of which 0.6% are
Lutheran and 0.2% are
Reformed. According to Losch (1932), the Lutherans were 3.3% of the total population; they were mainly
Germans in the
Memel territory (now Klaipėda). There was also a tiny Reformed community (0.5%) which still persists. Protestantism has declined with the
removal of the German and
Prussian Lithuanian populations, and today it is mainly represented by ethnic Lithuanians throughout the northern and western parts of the country, as well as large urban areas. Believers and the clergy suffered greatly during the Soviet occupation, with many killed, tortured or deported to Siberia. Newly arriving
evangelical churches have established missions in Lithuania since 1990.
Lutheranism Protestants make up 0.8% of the population, with 0.56% belonging to the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania. Lutheranism in Lithuania dates back to the 16th century, when it came mainly from the neighbouring German-controlled areas of
Livonia and
East Prussia. A Synod in Vilnius united the church in 1557. The parish network covered nearly all of the Grand Duchy, with district centers in Vilnius, Kedainai, Biržai, Slucke, Kojdanove, and Zabludove, later Izabeline. Small Protestant communities are dispersed throughout the northern and western parts of the country. The majority of
Prussian Lithuanians living in East Prussia and in Memelland (since 1945 the
Klaipėda Region of Lithuania) belonged to the
Evangelical Church of the old-Prussian Union. Most resettled in
West Germany after
World War II along with the
ethnic German inhabitants. Since 1945, Lutheranism in Lithuania has declined largely due to the ongoing secularization that sweeps throughout Europe.
Calvinism The
Lithuanian Evangelical Reformed Church is a historic denomination which was founded in 1557. A notable member was
Szymon Zajcusz. In the second half of the 16th century, the Unitarians separated. The denomination has over 7,000 members in 14 congregations. The church is a member of the
World Communion of Reformed Churches and the
World Reformed Fellowship Other Protestants Various Protestant churches have established missions in Lithuania since 1990, including the
United Methodists, the
Baptist Union, the
Mennonites, and World Venture.
Eastern Orthodoxy in Vilnius
Eastern Orthodoxy claims 4.1% of the population, mainly from the
Russian minority. The
Exarchate of Lithuania was then established on 1 May 2023.
Oriental Orthodoxy / Armenian Apostolic Church Most of the
Armenians in Lithuania, making up about 0.1% of population according to its own estimates, belong to the
Armenian Apostolic Church, which is often classified as an
Oriental Orthodox Church, in distinction from
Eastern Orthodox (to which the main Russian, Greek and Georgian Churches belong). An Armenian Apostolic Church dedicated to St. Vardan was opened in Vilnius in 2006. ==Islam==