Lithuanian Government Publishes 2016 Funding to Religious Communities

BNS reports the Lithuanian Government is planning to allocate 697,000 euros this year to traditional Lithuanian religious communities for refurbishing houses of prayer and other needs. The lion’s share–626,500 euros–will go to the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church, according to the Government’s draft plan.

The Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church of Lithuania is to get 36,100 euros, the supreme council of the Old Believers of Lithuania will come away with 8,300 euros, the Lithuanian Lutherans take 7,800 euros, and the Synod of the Lithuania Evangelical Reform Church will take 4,700 euros.

The Muftiate of the Lithuanian Islamic Sunnis is to receive 3,600 euros, the Basilian Monastery of St. Yosaphat take 3,000 euros, the Lithuanian Karaïte Religious Community also gets 3,000 while the Lithuanian Jewish Community is to get 2,000 euros, the Eastern Old Believers Church and the Vilnius Old Believers Religious Community will come away with 800 euros, the Kaunas Jewish Community is to get 600 euros and the Panevėžys Jewish Community gets the same amount as the Chabad Lubavitch Hassidic group in Vilnius, 300 euros each, according to BNS. Last year the Lithuanian Government allocated 637,164 euros to traditional religious communities.