Bishop Panaretos of Tamasos visited Kaunas and prayed for peace in Ukraine

On Sunday, 23 August 2026, Bishop Panaretos of Tamisos, Patriarchal Exarch of Lithuania, visited Kaunas and celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Small Church of the Resurrection of Christ, where the Ukrainian-speaking and Lithuanian-speaking Orthodox communities gather for prayer.

As 23 August marked Black Ribbon Day and the anniversary of the Baltic Way, prayers were offered for the freedom of nations, for the victims of totalitarian regimes, and for peace in Ukraine. On the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day, remembrance was also made of the Ukrainian people suffering through the trials of war—the fallen, the wounded, families who have lost their homes, refugees, children, and mothers waiting for their loved ones.

In his homily, “What Do I Still Lack?”, the Bishop reflected on the rich young man’s question to Christ and stressed that the human person was created not merely to be “good,” but to live in communion with God. He contrasted the rich young man’s sorrow with the trust of the Most Holy Theotokos, expressed in the words: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.”

The Bishop urged the faithful not to allow wealth, ambition, pride, resentment, or fear to take possession…