Clergy

His All-Holiness Bartholomew I is our patriarch and our chief shepherd. He is called the Patriarch of Constantinople or the Ecumenical Patriarch because, in addition to being the most senior bishop of his own patriarchate, he is also the first bishop (protos) of the entire Orthodox Church, coordinating the life of the Universal Church and helping to solve the most important questions of its life.

Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Lithuania Fr. Justinus Kiviloo

Clergyman who was born in Estonia and started his ministry. Since 2004 – deacon, 2013 – priest. He served as protodeacon of Metropolitan Stephanos of the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Estonia, priest of various parishes, prison chaplain. In 2023 appointed Exarch of Lithuania, 2024 arrived in Lithuania in January and started his duties.

Contact: egzarchatas@ortodoksas.lt

Archpriest Vladimiras Seliavko

Since 1995 serving clergyman, 2000-2019 - Public relations representative of the Vilnius and Lithuanian Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate. After graduating from the Moscow Seminary and the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, he was a long-time pastor of the Archangel Michael Parish in Vilnius. In 2022 in solidarity with the clergy who were fired due to the criticism of Patriarch Kirill, he voluntarily left his position, and was later punished by the management for this step. In 2023 The Ecumenical Patriarch canceled the punishments and accepted him to serve in the Patriarchate of Constantinople. He has a wife, two children.

Contact: vladimiras.seliavko@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook, +370 699 30499.

Archpriest Vitalijus Mockus

A pioneer of the Lithuanian Orthodox liturgy in our time, a translator of liturgical texts, a long-time chancellor of the Vilnius and Lithuanian Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate. Alumnus of Minsk Seminary and St. Petersburg Theological Academy, clergyman since 1995. When in 2022 The Patriarch of Moscow Kirill began to justify and support the war in Ukraine, disagreed with the patriarch's position, publicly condemned it, and was punished by the Moscow Patriarchate for this. in 2023 The Ecumenical Patriarch canceled the punishments and accepted him to serve in the Patriarchate of Constantinople. He has a wife, two children.

Contact: vitalijus.mockus@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook, +370 656 57038.

Archpriest doc. Georgy Roy

The father of a large family came to Lithuania from Hrodno, Belarus. Clergyman since 2006 He taught at the Minsk Theological Academy and Seminary, and was the founder and rector of the Gardin Bible College. During 2020 protests, condemned violence against peaceful people, organized help for the suffering and imprisoned, allowed peaceful people to hide from violence in the cathedral, where the pastor was. He suffered repressions for this. in 2023 admitted to the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Contact: georgy.roy@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook.

Priest Georgy Ananyev 

A clergyman serving in the Klaipėda University chapel and the Klaipėda region, born in Russia, graduated from secular and theological studies there, emigrated to Lithuania and became its citizen. 2009-2022 served in Lithuania, Moscow Patriarchate, after Russian aggression in 2022. In Ukraine, he expressed disapproval of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, who supported the war, was repressed, joined the Patriarchate of Constantinople. He has a wife, adult children.

Contact: georgy.ananiev@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook.

Priest Aliaksandr Kukhta 

The creator of one of the most popular Russian-language YouTube channels about Christianity, "The priest will give the answer" (Батюшка Ответит). A native of Minsk, a clergyman since 2014. In 2020, when violence broke out against peaceful protesters in Belarus, he condemned the use of force, volunteered at the Okrestin prison to help the suffering and imprisoned, and publicly prayed for Raman Bondarenko, who was killed by law enforcement officers. The priest who prayed together was arrested, and Fr. Aliaksandr moved to Ukraine, later to Lithuania. In 2023 admitted to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Contact: aliaksandr.kuchta@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook, Telegram.

Priest Gintaras Jurgis Sungaila

Priest of Vilnius Holy Trinity community, translator of liturgical texts into Lithuanian, creator of the ortodoskas.lt website. He has a wife, a child. He has studied philosophy, theology, religious studies, and is currently a doctoral student at Vytautas the Great University. Clergyman since 2018 in 2022 together with other Lithuanian clergy who did not agree with the Patriarch of Moscow, he was repressed, after which he was acquitted by the Ecumenical Patriarch and accepted to serve in the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Contact: sungaila.gintaras@gmail.lt, Facebook.

Protodeacon Viktoras Miniotas

Lithuanian, father of a large family, born in exile in Russia, repatriated to Lithuania after it became independent. A member of the Lithuanian Composers' Union, one of the pioneers of Lithuanian Orthodox music, who stood at the origins of the first Lithuanian parish. He served as a deacon in Vilnius for two decades and received the honorary title of protodeacon (now archdeacon).

Contact: viktoras.miniotas@ortodoksas.lt, Facebook.

Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev

Fr. Andrei (born in 1963) is a renowned theologian and missionary, author of numerous books, doctor of philosophy and theology, who has brought many people to Christ in more than thirty years of ministry. Since 2013, he has been subjected to repression by the Russian Church and state for his criticism of the Moscow Patriarchate and Patriarch Kirill. For condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine, the cleric was fined 30,000 roubles and declared a "foreign agent" in Russia. In 2023 Patriarch Kirill expelled him from the clergy, but in April 2024 the Ecumenical Patriarch, after receiving the deacon's appeal and examining the evidence in the case, found that Protodeacon Andrei was not punished for religious reasons, but for political reasons, and therefore reinstated him in the clerical ministry. On 23 July 2024, as a result of the granting of his request, Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev was admitted to the clergy of the Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Lithuania.

Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev will continue his ministry in the Church as a missionary, not bound to one parish, but will continue to preach the Gospel in different cities and countries, in accordance with the rules of the Church.

Deacon Ioann Ovchinnikov

Born in Russia, where he received both secular and theological education. He was ordained to the diaconate in 2019. After the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022 signed a collective letter of the clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate calling for an end to the war and actively participated in the anti-war movement. In 2022 moved to Lithuania at the end. In 2023 admitted to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.