Challenges and Opportunities in the Healing of Church Memories Reflections on Baptist-Catholic Relations in Lithuania

Abstract

Written as a response to a theme of ‘Challenges and Opportunities in the Healing of Church Memories’ for the Phase III of the Joint Commission for the International Dialogue between the Baptist World Alliance and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, this article investigates the Lithuanian speaking Baptist-Catholic relations. Providing an overview of the country’s geopolitical, cultural and religious context, it highlights the role of nationalist sentiments, religious majority-minority dynamics, and the impact of the Lithuanian Catholic Church’s recent loss of social, political and cultural hegemony, in Lithuanian ecumenical relations. It also draws attention to the role of ecumenical work around the translation of the Bible as a catalyst for the healing of painful memories and an opportunity for the formation of new bonds.