State-Sponsored Paganism
Temple of Jupiter, Pompeii, Author Carla Brain (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
On February 14, 1387 AD Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila shut down the last temple to the Roman god Jupiter, so ending state-sponsored paganism in Europe [1]. On October 9, 2025 Latvia reinstated it.
Latvia’s Dievturi Community Law goes further than allowing neo-pagan groups to register their places of worship, operate as charities, and receive state recognition for the marriages they perform (rights several European nations have extended). Though the Latvian constitution does not permit the establishment of religion, the new law proclaims Dievturiba the traditional religion in Latvia, and commends it to the populace as preserving the nation’s spiritual heritage.
Christianity was imposed on Latvia by the Teutonic Knights during the Livonian Crusade in the 12th and 13th Centuries [2]. Their successors then ruled Latvia as a German-speaking noble class for seven centuries.
Dievturiba was actually devised in 1925 by Ernests Brastinş̌ and Kārlis Marovskis-Bregži, as a protest against Christianity. Tragically, it was associated with the ultranationalist Thunder Cross Movement of Gustavs Celmiņš which later collaborated with the Nazis in the Latvian Holocaust [3].
With birthrates in the Baltic states falling, the revival of pagan religion may be a reaction to the marginalization of indigenous culture. Or it may reflect desires for leadership by a strongman who will at least promise (if not deliver) prosperity and safety. Since 1993, emphasizing the need for a strong Latvia and fanning the fear of minorities have been central to the far right agenda of For Homeland and Freedom.
These developments do not bode well either for the Christians of Latvia or the ethnic minorities living there. We can only wait and see what the New Year will bring.
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[1] The Hill, “The return of the strong gods?” by Francis Young, 10/28/25, https://thecritic.co.uk/the-return-of-the-strong-gods/.
[2] Wikipedia, “Northern Crusades”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Crusades.
[3] Wikipedia, “Perkonkrusts”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%93rkonkrusts.
[4] Transform! Europe, “The extreme right in the Baltic states: Latvia” by Matgorzata Kulbaczewska-Figat, 6/4/20, https://transform-network.net/blog/analysis/the-extreme-right-in-the-baltic-states-latvia/.
Federal funds have been pulled from Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley for alleged incomplete/inaccurate recordkeeping. While Catholic Charities maintains it provides nothing more than humanitarian aid to migrants, some contend it has contributed to chaos on the Southern border.
See, https://www.ncronline.org/news/federal-funds-pulled-catholic-charities-usmexico-border.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
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