Leading Latvian pastor excommunicated from the church for supporting gays
17/11/2005
Submitted by
Juris Lavrikovs
On 16 November 2005, the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church (LELC) decided to excommunicate Juris Cālītis, a pastor of the Riga Reformation Evangelical Lutheran and the Riga St. Savoir Anglican parishes, who is also a dean of the Theology Faculty of the University of Latvia. Another pastor, Varis Bogdanovs of the Cross parish, was given a disciplinary penalty.
In their statement, the Riga Reformation parish said that both pastors are punished for their connection with the first lesbian and gay Pride March and a church service taking place at the Anglican church of Riga following the March on 23 July 2005. Juris Cālītis allowed Māris Sants, excommunicated LELC pastor, openly gay and one of the Pride March organisers, to host a service at the Anglican church of Riga. Juris Cālītis stated that the LELC tried to ban this service.
The parish’s statement says that ‘understanding that persecuted by the society lesbians and gay men are also excluded from the church, and the church was central in provoking thousands of lynch-willing protesters to came out to the streets’, Juris Cālītis decided not only to allow the service but also to support excommunicated Māris Sants.
Jānis Vanags, the LELC’s archbishop already on many occasions expressed his view on this issue condemning the march of sexual minorities.
According to the LELC decision both pastors were called to sign a document explaining to the society their participation during the Pride service by 16 November. Nevertheless neither Juris Cālītis nor Vairis Bogdanovs accepted the LELC decision since they were ‘called to demonstrate their obedient acceptance of the LELC power and instructed order’.
The Riga Reformation parish expressed their deep disappointment that despite the fact that the LELC leadership was invited to openness, discussion and tolerance during and after the meting between the parish and the LELC, the LELC leadership considered more important to prevent any different views and strengthen their own controlling position’.
In their statement, the Riga Reformation parish said that both pastors are punished for their connection with the first lesbian and gay Pride March and a church service taking place at the Anglican church of Riga following the March on 23 July 2005. Juris Cālītis allowed Māris Sants, excommunicated LELC pastor, openly gay and one of the Pride March organisers, to host a service at the Anglican church of Riga. Juris Cālītis stated that the LELC tried to ban this service.
The parish’s statement says that ‘understanding that persecuted by the society lesbians and gay men are also excluded from the church, and the church was central in provoking thousands of lynch-willing protesters to came out to the streets’, Juris Cālītis decided not only to allow the service but also to support excommunicated Māris Sants.
Jānis Vanags, the LELC’s archbishop already on many occasions expressed his view on this issue condemning the march of sexual minorities.
According to the LELC decision both pastors were called to sign a document explaining to the society their participation during the Pride service by 16 November. Nevertheless neither Juris Cālītis nor Vairis Bogdanovs accepted the LELC decision since they were ‘called to demonstrate their obedient acceptance of the LELC power and instructed order’.
The Riga Reformation parish expressed their deep disappointment that despite the fact that the LELC leadership was invited to openness, discussion and tolerance during and after the meting between the parish and the LELC, the LELC leadership considered more important to prevent any different views and strengthen their own controlling position’.
