Lithuania's Civil Partnership bill to be reviewed by Catholic Church

According to Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius, the final adjustments to a bill drafted by the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice, which would allow civil partnerships between heterosexual couples, are being made. 

Butkevicius added the adjustments are being made in conjunction with the Catholic Church, and the document would soon be submitted to the Lithuanian government for discussion. 

“We recently met with the Justice Minister, and Archbishop Gintaras Grusas,” said Butkevicius. “We made a break in the government’s discussion on the issue, but it has presented certain proposals.” 

Butkevicius refused to elaborate on the proposals, but his advisor on religious issues, Julius Ratkus, said the final adjustments to the bill were made on June 15, 2015, and the bill would be submitted to government the week commencing June 22. 

“These proposals should be discussed with legal experts from both sides, and then the bill should be presented to the government,” said Ratkus.

The Ministry of Justice has proposed the government legalises civil partnerships between heterosexual couples; as a consequence, the bill has come under heavy criticism for excluding same-sex couples from the bill. 

However, in March 2015, nine lawmakers from the Liberal and Social Democrat parties registered a bill that would allow civil partnerships between both opposite and same-sex couples.