Lithuanian leaders weigh response to Catholic Church abuse scandal

Lithuanian political leaders have expressed reservations regarding the necessity of initiating a broad, independent investigation into sexual abuse within the Catholic Church at this time. Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas stated that instead of creating new parliamentary or state commissions, the focus should remain on allowing ongoing judicial processes to conclude. He suggested that the results of current court cases involving priests accused of crimes against minors should inform any future actions.

Olekas proposed that transparency could be improved by involving independent experts and laypeople in the Church's internal investigations. He also emphasized that sexual violence is a societal issue rather than one exclusive to the clergy, requesting crime statistics from the prosecutor's office to view the broader context of such crimes across different professions.

Prime Minister Mykolas Sinkevičius echoed the sentiment of separation between state and church governance, noting that Church leaders should decide on the necessity of such investigations to meet societal expectations. Vilnius Archbishop Metropolitan Gintaras Grušas previously indicated that now is not the appropriate time for a large-scale investigation, suggesting that the Church must first address immediate concerns and develop a long-term strategy.