Audrys Bačkis

Audrys Bačkis
Archbishop of Vilnius
Cardinal Bačkis
Archdiocese	Vilnius
Province	Vilnius
See	Vilnius
Appointed	24 December 1991
Predecessor	Julijonas Steponavicius
Other posts	Cardinal-Priest of Natività di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo a Via Gallia
Orders
Ordination	18 March 1961 by Luigi Traglia
Consecration	4 October 1988 by Pope John Paul II
Created Cardinal	21 February 2001
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Birth name	Audrys Juozas Bačkis
Born	1 February 1937 (1937-02-01) Kaunas, Lithuania
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous post	Titular Archbishop of Meta (1988 - 1991) Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Netherlands (1988 - 1991)
Motto	sub tuum praesidium
Coat of arms

Styles of Audrys Juozas Bačkis
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Vilnius

Audrys Juozas Bačkis (born 1 February 1937) is a Lithuanian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of Vilnius, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2001.

Bačkis was born in Kaunas to a Lithuanian diplomat family. As in 1938 Bačkis' father Stasys was assigned to France family stayed in the west after Soviet occupation during World War II. He completed his secondary education at the Institute Saint-Marie-de-Monceau, and studied philosophy at the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Issy-les-Moulineaux.

Bačkis then went to Rome to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, and Pontifical Lateran University, there Bačkis obtained his doctorate in canon law. Bačkis was ordained to the priesthood by Luigi Traglia on 18 March 1961, in Rome. He then did pastoral work among Lithuanian Americans in the United States, and finished his studies in Rome in 1964.

In 1964 he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See, serving as secretary of the nunciature to the Philippines (1964–1965), to Costa Rica (1965–1967), to Turkey (1967–1970), and to Nigeria (1970–1973). Bačkis was raised to the rank of Privy Chamberlain of His Holiness on 26 June 1965, and was called to the Council of Public Affairs of the Church in the Secretariat of State in 1973. He was the Vatican's delegate to the United Nations Conference in Vienna in 1975, and became Vice-Secretary of the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church in 1979.

On 5 August 1988, Bačkis was appointed Pro-Nuncio to the Netherlands and Titular Archbishop of Meta by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 4 October from Pope John Paul himself, with Cardinal Achille Silvestrini and Bishop Juozas Preikšas serving as co-consecrators, in St. Peter's Basilica. Bačkis was later named Archbishop of Vilnius on December 24, 1991.

John Paul II created him Cardinal-Priest of Natività di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo a Via Gallia in the consistory of 21 February 2001. Bačkis was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. Bačkis remains eligible to vote in any future conclaves that begin before his 80th birthday in 2017.

Within the Lithuanian Episcopal Conference, he has been President (1993–1999, 2003–present) and Vice-President (1999–2003). Besides his native Lithuanian, the Cardinal speaks Italian, English, and French.

References

• [1]. Cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkis. Catholic Church in Lithuania.