Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 20
Trend:
His Holiness Pope Francis will visit Lithuania on September 22-23, the Committee in charge of the preparations for the visit of Pope Francis to Lithuania said in a message.
It will be the second Papal visit in the history of the country – Pope John Paul II visited Lithuania back in 1993, just after Lithuania had regained its independence.
“During this visit, we will welcome His Holiness to the country that marks the 100th anniversary of re-establishment of the Lithuanian State and celebrates its connectedness with the rest of the world,” the message said. “Connectivity describes Lithuania’s past and its present. In 1989, Lithuanians connected hands with Latvians and Estonians in the Baltic Way to form a 675 km long human chain in hope to overturn the Soviet oppressor.”
“Once hope became reality, connectivity gave us faith to build a modern Northern European state, which celebrates 100 years of restored statehood in 2018,” reads the message. “Today, Lithuanians at home and abroad are not only connected through their unique language and cultural heritage, but also take pride in their Catholic traditions.”
“The Pope’s visit allows us not only to share our spiritual connection with the rest of the world and highlight the resilient nature of our people, but also to celebrate our centenary,” the committee said.
In 2018 Lithuania also marks the momentous anniversary of the visit of Pope John Paul II.