Audrys Bačkis

Audrys Juozas Cardinal Backis ( born 1 February 1937 in Kaunas, Lithuania) is a retired Archbishop of Vilnius.

Life

Audrys Juozas Backis grew up as the son of a diplomat in France. After school he studied Catholic theology and philosophy and was ordained in 1961 for the diocese Kaunas priest.

After further studies, he earned a licentiate of Catholic Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and received his doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. In 1964 he entered the diplomatic service of the Vatican and worked in the Philippines, Costa Rica, Nigeria and Turkey. On June 26, 1965 he was awarded by Pope Paul VI. the honorary title secret chamberlain of His Holiness ( Monsignor ). On May 4, 1979, Pope John Paul II called for under secretary of the Council for Public Affairs of the Church and gave him on 18 June of the same year the title of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness. On August 5, 1988, he was named John Paul II Titular Archbishop of Meta and Apostolic Pro- Nuncio to the Netherlands. He received his episcopal consecration, the Pope on 4 October of the same year in St. Peter's Basilica.

1991 Pope John Paul II appointed him Archbishop of Vilnius. Backis is chairman of the Lithuanian Bishops' Conference, and was appointed 21 February 2001 as a cardinal priest with the titular church of the Nativity of Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo a Via Gallia the College of Cardinals to.

On April 5, 2013 Pope Francis accepted the argument put forward by Audrys Juozas Backis resignation for reasons of age.

Membership in the Roman Curia

Audrys Juozas Cardinal Backis is a member of the following congregations and councils of the Roman Curia:

  • Congregation for Catholic Education
  • Pontifical Council for Social Communications
  • Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church

Honors

  • Grand Officer of the Portuguese Order of Christ
  • Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, 1985
  • Commander of the Norwegian Order of Merit, 1997
  • Honorary Doctorate, Vilniaus Pedagoginis universitetas, 1997
  • Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, 2000
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas Magnus, 2003
  • Honorary Doctorate, Pontifical University of John Paul II, 2003
Lithuanian Bishops' Conference Order of Christ (Portugal) Royal Norwegian Order of Merit Acta Apostolicae Sedis
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