Eleven council members supported the motion, four opposed it, and 12 abstained. The proposal was tabled by Daniel Ilkevič of the Freedom Party.
“Honorary citizenship is the highest form of gratitude our community can express to a person whose biography and work are beyond reproach and can serve as an example to the younger generation. It is not just a mark on parchment, it is a promise from the local government to residents that our values are real, not just declarative,” Ilkevič said.
He added: “This honorary title does not meet the moral standard we, as council members and as a municipality, should uphold. That is why we are proposing its revocation.”
Ahead of the council sitting, a peaceful protest was held outside the municipality, organised by the Centre Against Human Trafficking and Exploitation.
Among those opposing the move was Marija Rekst of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Alliance (LLRA-KŠS).
“I am a Christian and I cannot raise my hand to slander a man who perhaps did not violate anything at all, neither laws nor moral standards,” Rekst said.
“Let the cardinal rest in peace. Do not judge and you will not be judged. He has already been condemned without a chance to defend himself,” she added.
Gulbinowicz was born in Šukiškės village in Vilnius District, served as Archbishop of Wroclaw, and was made cardinal in 1985. He died in November 2020.
Shortly before his death, the Vatican imposed disciplinary measures on him for multiple cases of child sexual abuse, covering up clerical pedophilia, and a 16-year collaboration with the security service of the People’s Republic of Poland.
The Vilnius District Council granted him honorary citizenship in 2015, and several streets in Nemenčinė, Pakalniai, and Punžoniai bear his name.
Vilnius District Mayor Robert Duchnevič of the Social Democratic Party told public broadcaster LRT in early September that he saw no reason to reopen the matter, noting it had already been discussed and rejected by the LLRA-KŠS majority on the council.
Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė also said she could not interfere in the council’s decisions and that she herself would not vote to rename streets or strip Gulbinowicz of his honorary citizenship.