Lithuanians fight to save pro-life maternity home blessed by John Paul II

Over 12,000 Lithuanian petitioners are calling on the government to stop the Kaunas Christian Maternity Home from a planned merger with its parent hospital, stating that the decision would undermine the impact of the country’s last major pro-life maternity home.

Key Takeaways:

• The Christian Maternity Home in Kaunas specializes in care for low-risk pregnancies, and offers pro-life, pro-family aid along with a high standard of care.

• Pope John Paul II offered the home a papal blessing in 1997.

• The Lithuanian government wants to restructure the home by merging it with a larger hospital, causing widespread protests.

The Details:

The Lithuanian government revealed in February that it would restructure the Kaunas Christian Maternity Home (KGN) by merging its staff with a larger hospital, describing the decision as an “optimization of costs.” The move was met with surprise in view of Lithuania’s already faltering birth rate, which is among the EU’s lowest at 1.18 births per woman.

Established in 1926, the Kaunas Christian Maternity Home (KGN) remains Lithuania’s last major facility of its type, specializing in care for low-risk pregnancies. In 1997, Pope John Paul II learned about KGN’s family-oriented atmosphere and high standard of care, prompting him to transmit a handwritten message with his blessing.

KGN continues to be regarded as one of the country’s top-rated places for childbirth, all while maintaining its pro-life, family-oriented policies, with widespread public backing.

The maternity home has long partnered with Caritas Lithuania, the Archdiocese of Kaunas, and various pregnancy help centers to enable mothers to give birth in safe and highly individualized settings, which most contend is not the norm in typical obstetrics wards in Lithuania.

Opponents of the merger contend that dismantling KGN, with its century-long legacy, papal recognition, and strong pro-family reputation, would leave families feeling overlooked and their concerns dismissed. 

Zoom In:

Jarūnė Rimavičė, who leads the “Let’s Save the Kaunas Maternity Home” campaign, which has gained over 12,000 petition signatures, told EWTN News that the proposed merger would jeopardize the standard of care available to mothers.

She also pointed out that some delivery rooms and wards lack private sanitary facilities for women, undermining a woman's comfort and dignity during childbirth.

“During my first pregnancy, I was looking for an opportunity of calm, physiological birth in a friendly environment, and learned that Kaunas Christian Maternity Home is just such a place for many families, so the news of the plans to close it was incomprehensible,” Rimavičė said.

Rimavičė said the “Let’s Save the Kaunas Maternity Home” campaign has garnered support from women’s and human rights groups, as well as organizations and communities focused on family life, motherhood, and the Catholic faith.  

“This is a rare situation when different groups agree on one thing – this place is important for Lithuanian families, their right to choose and the preservation of culture where childbirth is treated with respect and not in a ‘conveyor-belt’ style,”  she explained. 

Darius Chmieliauskas, editor-in-chief of the Catholic monthly Artuma and a father of five, said there are good reasons for such widespread opposition to the merger. 

 "At that time, it felt truly extraordinary for a state-owned place to choose a truly Christian way by deciding that abortions would not be performed here anymore, and an atmosphere favourable for childbirth would be fostered. Not only Christian families, but also many of those who have nothing to do with the Church are now fighting for this hospital. It is a truly impressive sign of the fight for life in Lithuania."

He also noted that the Christian Maternity Home is the only facility of its kind in Lithuania to have received a pontifical blessing. "Who else in Lithuania has such a direct intervention from the now-saint, the Great John Paul II? And all that history is being erased," he said.

Rimavičė urged the Church and others to get involved in protecting the institution, saying “The silence of the Church leaders also raises questions, considering that Kaunas Christian Maternity Home is the only institution in Lithuania that consistently fosters the values of protecting life from conception and freedom of conscience for doctors."

Catholic mother of three and obstetrics student Valdonė Miliuvienė added, “When communicating personally, we received a response that the Church’s position on this issue was neutral, it was decided not to interfere, and it was mentioned that resistance to the process should come from below, we understand – from the laity."

She added:

“Currently, two months since the announcement of the dismantling of the Maternity Home, with new testimonies of families appearing almost daily, statements in the local media, various meetings taking place in the parliament, the Presidential Palace, other state institutions, and conferences, no position of the bishops has yet been publicly announced.”

The Bottom Line:

Supporters congregated outside KGN on May 3, commemorated as Motherʼs Day in Lithuania, urging for its preservation while proclaiming its significance for families.

The situation goes beyond just one planned hospital merger; it is a litmus test of whether a country that claims it wants to boost birth rates will also safeguard institutions that actively serve both with life-affirming care.