Đventaragio g. 4
LT-01122 Vilnius
Tel. (370-5) 262 70 98
Fax: (370-5) 212 28 07
E-mail: curia@vilnensis.lt
Born 1 Feb., 1937
Ordained priest 18 March, 1961
Consecrated bishop 4 Oct., 1988
Archbishop of Vilnius since 24 Dec., 1991
Elevated Cardinal on 21 Feb., 2001
Audrys Bačkis was born on February 1, 1937 in Kaunas, in the family of the diplomat Stasys Bačkis and the teacher Ona Galvydaitë – Bačkienë. The family was forced to stay in the West after the World War II because of Soviet occupation. In 1955, having graduated the Institute Saint Marie de Monceau, run by Marist Fathers, Audrys Bačkis entered the seminary of Saint-Sulpice a Issy-les-Molineux, where he finished the course of philosophy. He continued his theology studies in the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Audrys Bačkis was ordained priest on March 18, 1961. For some time Rev. Bačkis worked in USA providing pastoral care for Lithuanian communities. Afterwards he came back to Rome and entered the Pontifical Academy of Diplomacy. Simultaneously Rev. Bačkis studied ecclesiastical law in the Pontifical Lateran University and earned doctorate in canon law.
Having finished his studies he began diplomatic service in 1964. He served as secretary in apostolic nunciatures in Philippines (1964–1965), Costa Rica (1965–1967), Turkey (1967–1970), Nigeria (1970–1973). Afterwards Rev. Bačkis was appointed to work in the Vatican Secretariat of the State. He served in the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church taking care of questions concerning international organizations, peace and disarmament. In 1975 he was the member of Vatican delegation in UNO conference in Vienna concerning the relations with international organizations. In 1979 Rev. Audrys Bačkis was appointed vice-secretary of the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church and given the rank of a prelate of the Holy See. Msgr. Audrys Juozas Bačkis was consecrated bishop by the pope John Paul II on October 4, 1988. In the same year he was made archbishop and appointed apostolic nuncio in Holland. On December 24, 1991, Msgr. Audrys Bačkis was appointed archbishop of Vilnius. He was the president of the Lithuanian Bishops' Conference (LBC) 1993–1999. Having accomplished two cadences of presidency of CLB archbishop Audrys Bačkis was elected vice-president of CLB on November 3, 1999.
He was elevated to the Sacred College of Cardinals on February 21, 2001.
On September 20, 2002 Cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkis was elected for the post of the president of the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference.
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