Editing Lithuania (section)

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Lithuania}}
{{See also|Lithuanian mythology}}
[[File:Hill-of-crosses-siauliai.jpg|thumb|upright=1.65|[[Hill of Crosses]] near [[Šiauliai]]]]
[[File:Vilnius Cathedral Chapel of Saint Casimir, Vilnius, Lithuania - Diliff.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Chapel of Saint Casimir]], the [[patron saint]] of Lithuania and Lithuanian youth, with his [[sarcophagus]] in the centre]]
According to the 2021 census, 74.2% of residents of Lithuania were Catholics.<ref name="religion-stats"/> Catholicism has been the main religion since the official [[Christianisation of Lithuania]] in 1387. The Catholic Church was persecuted by the Russian Empire as part of the [[Russification]] policies and by the Soviet Union as part of the overall [[Religion in the Soviet Union|anti-religious campaigns]]. During the Soviet era, some priests actively led the resistance against the Communist regime, as symbolised by the [[Hill of Crosses]] and exemplified by ''[[The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania]]''.

3.7% of the population are [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], mainly among the Russian minority.<ref name="religion-stats"/> The community of [[Old Believers]] (0.6% of population) dates back to the 1660s.

[[Protestants]] are 0.8%, of which 0.6% are [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] and 0.2% are [[Lithuanian Evangelical Reformed Church|Reformed]]. The [[Reformation]] did not impact Lithuania to a great extent as seen in [[East Prussia]], [[Estonia]], or [[Latvia]]. Before World War II, according to Losch (1932), the Lutherans were 3.3% of the total population.<ref name="lmaleidykla.lt">{{cite web |url=http://lmaleidykla.lt/publ/1392-1096/2004/2/Geo_026_33.pdf |title=Lietuvos gyventojø religijos ir jø paplitimas |access-date=25 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509100300/http://www.lmaleidykla.lt/publ/1392-1096/2004/2/Geo_026_33.pdf |archive-date=9 May 2016}}</ref> They were mainly [[Germans]] and [[Prussian Lithuanians]] in the [[Klaipėda Region]] (Memel territory). This population [[Flight and expulsion of Germans|fled or was expelled after the war]], and Protestantism is now mainly represented by ethnic Lithuanians throughout the northern and western parts of the country, as well as in large urban areas. Newly arriving [[Evangelicalism|evangelical churches]] have established missions in Lithuania since 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.2012693/k.AEBE/United_Methodists_evangelize_in_Lithuania_with_ads_brochures.htm |title=United Methodists evangelize in Lithuania with ads, brochures |website=Umc.org |date=11 August 2006 |access-date=25 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014092015/http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.2012693/k.AEBE/United_Methodists_evangelize_in_Lithuania_with_ads_brochures.htm |archive-date=14 October 2017}}</ref>

Hinduism is a minority religion and a fairly recent development in Lithuania. Hinduism is spread in Lithuania by Hindu organizations: [[ISKCON]], [[Sathya Sai Baba]], [[Brahma Kumaris]] and [[Osho Rajneesh]]. [[ISKCON]] (Lithuanian: Krišnos sąmonės judėjimas) is the largest and the oldest movement as the first Krishna followers date to 1979.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.religija.lt/content/view/388/33/ |title=Krišnos sąmonės judėjimas |access-date=3 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020165549/http://www.religija.lt/content/view/388/33/ |archive-date=20 October 2008}}</ref> It has three centres in Lithuania: in [[Vilnius]], [[Klaipėda]] and [[Kaunas]]. [[Brahma Kumaris]] maintains the Centre Brahma Kumaris in [[Antakalnis]], Vilnius.

The historical communities of [[Lipka Tatars]] maintain [[Islam in Lithuania|Islam]] as their religion. Lithuania was historically home to a significant [[History of the Jews in Lithuania|Jewish community]] and was an important centre of Jewish scholarship and culture from the 18th century until the eve of World War II. Of the approximately 220,000 Jews who lived in Lithuania in June 1941, almost all were killed during [[the Holocaust in Lithuania|the Holocaust]].<ref name="Bubnys_vanished219">{{cite book |author=Arūnas Bubnys |chapter=Holocaust in Lithuania: An Outline of the Major Stages and Their Results |title=The Vanished World of Lithuanian Jews |publisher=Rodopi |year=2004 |isbn=978-90-420-0850-2 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mdXRKbcyi5oC&pg=PA219 |pages=218–219 |access-date=22 August 2020 |archive-date=15 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115084900/https://books.google.com/books?id=mdXRKbcyi5oC&pg=PA219&vq=is+the+worst+tragedy+of+Lithuania%27s&dq=Holocaust+1941+Lithuania&as_brr=3&source=gbs_search_s&sig=ZtduokysVV6MqLWS7I9uw7tMUFE |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Lithuania|url=http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005444|encyclopedia=Holocaust Encyclopedia|publisher=United States Holocaust Memorial Museum|access-date=12 April 2012|archive-date=20 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920235107/http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005444|url-status=live}}</ref> The Lithuanian Jewish community numbered about 4,000 at the end of 2009.<ref name="Stats">{{cite web|title=Population at the beginning of the year by ethnicity |url=http://www.stat.gov.lt/en/pages/view/?id=1731&PHPSESSID=a2cc98ebfc3a13b8297889cb6f68d571 |work=Statistics Lithuania |access-date=12 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070604090852/http://www.stat.gov.lt/en/pages/view/?id=1731&PHPSESSID=311ec85274c89154e6f4befbc159a0e8 |archive-date=4 June 2007}}</ref>

[[Romuva (religion)|Romuva]], the [[neopagan]] revival of the [[Lithuanian mythology|ancient religious practices]], has gained popularity over the years. Romuva claims to continue living pagan traditions, which survived in folklore and customs.<ref>Dundzila (2007), pp. 279, 296–298.</ref><ref>Dundzila and Strmiska (2005), p. 247.</ref><ref>Ignatow (2007), p. 104.</ref> Romuva is a [[polytheism|polytheistic]] pagan faith, which asserts the sanctity of nature and has elements of [[ancestor worship]].<ref>Dundzila and Strmiska (2005), p. 244.</ref> According to the [[Lithuanian census of 2001|2001 census]], there were 1,270 people of Baltic faith in Lithuania.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.religija.lt/straipsniai/tyrimai-analize-nuomones/lietuvos-gyventojai-pagal-tikyba|title=Lietuvos gyventojai pagal tikybą 2001 m. – religija.lt|website=Religija.lt|access-date=10 January 2018|archive-date=27 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627233429/https://religija.lt/straipsniai/tyrimai-analize-nuomones/lietuvos-gyventojai-pagal-tikyba|url-status=live}}</ref> That number jumped to 5,118 in the 2011 census, and decreased to 3,917 in 2021 census.<ref name="osp.stat.gov.lt">{{cite web|url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/documents/10180/217110/Gyv_kalba_tikyba.pdf/1d9dac9a-3d45-4798-93f5-941fed00503f|format=PDF|title=GYVENTOJAI PAGAL TAUTYBĘ, GIMTĄJĄ KALBĄ IR TIKYBĄ: Lietuvos Respublikos 2011 metų visuotinio gyventojų ir būstų surašymo rezultatai|website=Ops.stat.gov.lt|access-date=18 October 2018|archive-date=13 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313110843/https://osp.stat.gov.lt/documents/10180/217110/Gyv_kalba_tikyba.pdf/1d9dac9a-3d45-4798-93f5-941fed00503f|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Lithuania |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/lithuania/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=31 March 2025 |website=state.gov}}</ref>