Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
KNA InternationalSeptember 09, 2024
(CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Vilnius (KNA) Archbishop Georg Gänswein, 68, has officially taken up his post as papal ambassador in Vilnius. The German presented Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda with his credentials as Apostolic Nuncio for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Friday, according to the head of state's website. Mr. Nauseda congratulated Archbishop Gänswein on his arrival in Lithuania and on his 40th anniversary as a priest, which he celebrated in May. As secretary to Joseph Ratzinger and then Pope Benedict XVI (1927-2022), Archbishop Gänswein was one of the most prominent Germans in the Vatican for many years.

Photos from the Office of the President show Archbishop Gänswein in a black cassock with the purple sash of an archbishop and a cape of the same color as he walks down the red carpet into the presidential palace. The presentation of the credentials took place there in front of the flags of Lithuania and the Vatican.

Help for Ukraine
Catholic Lithuania has always had a special relationship with the Holy See and will not forget that the latter never recognized the occupation and annexation of the Baltic country by the Soviet Union, the president said. Lithuania’s church had been an important pillar of the country’s internal strength during both the Soviet and Tsarist Russian occupations. After independence, the visit of Pope John Paul II and his words “Fear not!” gave Lithuania courage. These words are as relevant today as ever in view of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, said the head of state.

Mr. Nauseda called on the international community to help Ukraine in its defense. He appealed to the Vatican to maintain its strong support for Ukraine, which he greatly appreciated, as well as the Catholic Church’s help for Ukrainian refugees. Any scenario other than a victory for Ukraine would have negative consequences for Europe and its security, the president emphasized. Future peace must be based on full support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, Mr. Nauseda said.

Pope Francis had transferred Archbishop Gänswein to his home diocese of Freiburg in 2023 without assigning him an office. In June 2024, Francis appointed Benedict XVI’s long-time private secretary as Vatican ambassador to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

The latest from america

Pope Leo XIV has appointed the French archbishop of Chambéry, Thibault Verny, as the new president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. He succeeds Cardinal Seán O’Malley, 81, the emeritus archbishop of Boston.
Gerard O’ConnellJuly 05, 2025
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks with other members of the House July 3, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington after final passage of U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill. (OSV News photo/Jonathan Ernst, Reuters)
“Deep cuts” to SNAP and Medicaid will “inflict real suffering on these families…. SNAP and Medicaid are not luxuries, they are lifelines for millions of children across our country.”
Kevin ClarkeJuly 03, 2025
It was one of the first times Leo has spoken unscripted at length in public, responding to questions posed to him by the children.
The Vatican has named the judges that will preside over the trial of disgraced Father Marko Rupnik.