“An active participation in the elections” since “passivity and rejection would be incompatible with Christian responsibility”: the bishops of Lithuania make this plea in a statement addressed to the citizens of the country in recent days, in view of the upcoming elections to the European Parliament and the extraordinary elections for the nomination of the new President of the Baltic Republic, following the impeachment and ejection from office of former President Paksas in recent weeks. Without naming candidates or parties, the bishops indicate the general principles that ought to inspire electors. In the first place they warn of the “tendency of some politicians to exploit the authority of the Church to demonstrate their closeness to the clergy and hierarchy”. Instead, the bishops urge electors to evaluate candidates’ positions “on the values of the family, of the dignity of the human person and of the Christian roots of the continent”. According to the bishops, “some candidates openly speak of ‘achieving advantages’ or ‘competing with other nations'”, but “they lack positive projects”. The bishops further urge electors to shun those politicians who “have collaborated in the past with repressive systems”. As for the presidential elections, they deplore “the opposition between the various strata of Lithuanian society”. The document suggests that the vote should be given to “a conciliatory, moderate leader, endowed with political wisdom and experience in the international field”.
