At the beginning of September, Vilnius Archbishop Metropolitan Gintaras Grušas visited the parishes of Rūdiškės and Kalesninkai, where priests previously served who are currently accused of crimes against children. In both parishes, he celebrated Mass and met with local communities.
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The Archdiocese told BNS that G. Grušas emphasized truth, responsibility, and the protection of victims in the meetings and stressed that the good name of the Church is preserved not by silencing evil, but by acknowledging it, cooperating with law enforcement, and striving to prevent the harm from recurring.
“Our goal cannot be just that there are no more scandals. Our goal must be much more important: that there are no more victims,” said G. Grušas.
The Archdiocese states that it does not publicly comment on communication with specific possibly affected individuals in order to protect their privacy. The Vilnius Archdiocese’s Service for Listening to Survivors of Abuse also continues to operate.
After recent events, leaflets about creating a safe environment have been prepared for the parishes, and the Vilnius Archdiocese Youth Center is organizing training on recognizing and responding to sexual violence against children. These will be led by psychologists from the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, who work with children and their relatives affected by sexual violence.
The Vilnius Archbishop also met with representatives of the “Important Matter” initiative and listened to their proposals regarding assistance to victims, accountability, and prevention. According to the curia, the initiative’s representatives promised to formulate proposals more concretely so that they can be discussed with other Lithuanian bishops.
The Archdiocese claims to aim not only to respond to specific cases but also to strengthen prevention and responsible responses to possible signals of harm.
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As BNS wrote, this summer criminal cases of two priests related to crimes involving children were handed over to the courts.
Priest T. Švedavičius is accused of sexual crimes against 11 minors. According to law enforcement data, the case records 34 criminal episodes – from persuading children to consume alcohol to sexual assault. It is suspected that the crimes were committed from 2002 to 2025. The case was transferred to the Vilnius District Court for trial.
In another case transferred to the Vilnius City District Court, priest Ryšardas Peciunas is accused of possession of child pornography. There are no victims in this case.
G. Grušas has previously said that a priest should not be considered an infallible authority, and that there should be more dialogue, listening to each other, and working together within the Church community.
BNS also wrote that after the charges against priests were announced, discussions about establishing a public register of sexual offenders have become more active again in Lithuania, and the Seimas is also giving the idea a green light.
