"Contracting Parties");
in order to regulate relations between the Catholic Church and the Republic of
Lithuania in the spheres of education and culture;
the Holy See, acting in accordance with the documents of the Second Vatican council
particularly its declaration Gravissimum educationis, as well as the norms of Canon
Law, and the Republic of Lithuania, acting in accordance with its Constitution;
holding the principles of freedom of conscience and religion as recognised and
proclaimed by the international community;
having regard to the important moral, cultural and historic contribution of the
Catholic Church to the Nation's life;
acknowledging that in Lithuania Catholics constitute the largest community among
the traditional religious communities in Lithuania recognised by the State;
have agreed on the following:
The Republic of Lithuania, upholding the principle of freedom of religion and
acknowledging the natural right of parents to provide their children with religious
education, shall create the same conditions for teaching the Catholic religion in all
State and municipal schools of general education as for teaching other curriculum
subjects.
2.At the request of parents or guardians State or municipal pre-school
educational establishments shall be provided with conditions for Catholic education.
3.All educational establishments and study institutions shall guarantee respect for
religious convictions, symbols and values.
Holding in respect freedom of conscience, everybody shall have a guaranteed
right to choose freely classes in religion or ethics as subject for required moral
education. Such a choice shall not be ground for discrimination.
2.For students attending school up to the age indicated in the legal acts of the
Republic of Lithuania the right to choose classes in religion or ethics shall be
reserved to their parents or guardians. Students who have reached the age indicated in
the legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania shall have the right to decide
independently regarding religious education.
3.Students under the guardianship of the State or municipality shall be
guaranteed the right to study the Catholic religion, provided that Catholicism is the
faith professed by their families or relatives.
The qualifying certificate for teaching the Catholic religion shall be granted in
accordance with the procedure prescribed by the legal acts of the Republic of
Lithuania with due regard to the norms of the Conference of Lithuanian Bishops.
2.Teachers of the Catholic religion must have the written authorisation (missio
canonica) of the local Bishop. Such authorisation constitutes an indispensable part of
the qualification requirements for the profession. From the moment when the
authorisation is withdrawn, a teacher shall lose the right to teach the Catholic
religion. The procedure for the notification of the withdrawal of the authorisation
shall be established by a separate agreement between the authorised institution of the
Republic of Lithuania and the Conference of Lithuanian Bishops.
3.Teachers of’ religion in State or municipal schools have the same rights and
duties as teachers of other subjects.
In educational establishments where the Catholic religion is taught as a subject
of moral training, teachers and students of the Catholic religion shall enjoy the same
opportunities as teachers and students of other subjects as regards the development of
extra-curricular activities, using of the school premises and resources.
2.Appreciating the contribution of the Catholic Church to the education of youth,
the Republic of Lithuania shall support the activities of Catholic youth organisations,
providing said organisations with the same possibilities to use premises and resources
of the State or municipal educational institutions as other public youth organisations
registered in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the legal acts of the
Republic of Lithuania.
education in universities and other establishments of higher education in agreement
with the administration of these institutions.
The preparation of programmes for teaching the Catholic religion, textbooks
and other didactical materials for institutions of education shall be organised by the
Conference of Lithuanian Bishops, in co-operation with the competent institution of
the Republic of Lithuania. The prepared textbooks shall be approved for use by the
Conference of Lithuanian Bishops and by the competent institution of the Republic of
Lithuania.
2.The preparation and printing of textbooks on the Catholic religion shall be
financed in accordance with the general procedure established by the competent
institution of the Republic of Lithuania, in co-operation with the Conference of
Lithuanian Bishops.
Each within its competence, the authorised institutions of the Contracting
Parties shall ensure that the contents and methods of teaching the Catholic religion
comply with the requirements established by the Catholic Church and the Republic of
Lithuania.
2.Professional qualifications of teachers of the Catholic religion shall be assessed
and their work shall be supervised in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the
legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania with the joint participation of the
representatives of the Conference of Lithuanian Bishops.
various types and levels or to be among the founders of such establishments. Such
institutions shall be established upon receiving written authorisation of the competent
authority of the Catholic Church and pursuant to the laws of the Republic of
Lithuania. Education in such institutions shall be conducted according to Catholic
doctrine, while subjects of general education shall be taught according to the
programme approved by the competent institution of the Republic of Lithuania.
State or municipal educational institutions established together with the
Catholic Church, as well as programmes providing education of established public
standards within non-State and non-municipal Catholic educational institutions, shall
be financed by the budgetary funds allotted thereto pursuant to the procedure
prescribed by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania or its authorised
institution to the same degree as State or municipal institutions of a relevant type or
level.
2.Supplementary programmes of non-State Catholic educational institutions shall
be financed by the founding institution.
The Contracting Parties shall mutually recognise diplomas and academic
qualifications in education at the University level.
2.The authorised institutions of the Contracting Parties shall exchange
information on the recognition of qualifications.
3.The Republic of Lithuania shall recognise diplomas and academic
qualifications granted by the Faculty of Theology which had been in operation within
the Inter-diocesan Seminary in Kaunas in 1940-1991.
4.In providing subsidies for State post-secondary schools (including
Universities), the Republic of Lithuania shall also grant subsidies to schools
preparing teachers of Catholic religion, as well as to public institutions of post-
secondary education, including those wherein faculties of Catholic theology, religious
study centres and departments are established.
The competent authority of the Church may establish diocesan and inter-
diocesan seminaries for the spiritual and intellectual preparation of candidates for the
priesthood. Diplomas of higher education granted by the seminaries shall be
recognised in the Republic of Lithuania, provided that the level of studies meets the
qualification requirements set for higher education.
2.Seminary professors and students shall have the same rights and duties as
professors and students from other educational institutions of an equivalent level.
3.The Republic of Lithuania shall provide support to the Catholic seminaries.
The amount shall be fixed by a separate agreement between the competent institution
of the Republic of Lithuania and the Conference of Lithuanian Bishops.
Having regard to the right of its citizens to freedom of information, the
Catholic Church shall have access to public mass media. Catholic radio and television
programmes shall be broadcast pursuant to separate agreement between the
Conference of Lithuanian Bishops and the authorised institution of the Republic of
Lithuania.
2.The Catholic Church shall have the right to establish and possess its own media
network in conformity with Canon Law and the legal acts of the Republic of
Lithuania.
3.Honouring the principle of religious freedom, the Republic of Lithuania and
the Catholic Church shall co-operate to guarantee respect for religious convictions
and beliefs, ethical and religious values, religious symbols and sacred objects in the
media amid public life.
The cultural and historical patrimony of the Catholic Church is an important
part of the national heritage, therefore the Catholic Church and the Republic of
Lithuania shall continue to co-operate to preserve this heritage.
2.The archives of the Catholic Church that were expropriated between 15 June
1940 and 11 March 1990 and which are currently being kept at the State Archives
shall be left there for safekeeping. The authorised representatives of the Catholic
Church shall have the right to free access, to investigate and to publish the material
from these archives without charge.
3.The conditions for the administration and safekeeping of the aforementioned
archives, as well as the procedure for the submission of information on the available
documents shall be stipulated by a separate agreement between the Conference of
Lithuanian Bishops and the authorised institution of the Republic of Lithuania.
4.The Conference of Lithuanian Bishops and the authorised institution of the
Republic of Lithuania will establish a permanent bilateral commission to perform the
following tasks:
decide on the future status of the movable and immovable cultural treasures
that were expropriated between 15 June 1940 and 11 March 1990, while having
regard to their religious value;
-draw up lists of movable and immovable cultural treasures in order to receive
full financing from the State for their conservation and restoration;
-draw up and update on a regular basis lists of movable and immovable cultural
treasures in order to receive State support according to their priority.
5.The Catholic Church desiring that its cultural heritage should continue to be
available to the public, shall ensure that the interested persons are able to study and
research it.
implementation of the present Agreement, the Contracting Parties will proceed by
common accord to an amicable solution.
the fulfilment by the Contracting Parties of the procedures necessary for its entrance
into force.
Done in Vilnius on 5 May 2000 in two copies in English and Lithuanian, both texts
being of equal force.
For the Holy See: Erwin Josef Ender, Nunzio Apostolico
For the Republic of Lithuania: Algirdas Saudargas, Ministro degli Affari Esteri
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