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Other provisions

Churches and internal organisations abroad

According to the Law on Religious Organisations, religious organisations which indicate as governing authority a religious organisation registered abroad may be registered as "autonomous religious organisations" in the Republic of Latvia, which actually means that Latvia takes into account the link between the congregation and its foreign centre. However, responsibility for compliance with the law rests on the registered congregation itself.
A large number of religious organisations incorporated in Latvia have indicated that their centres are located abroad. The Latvian Orthodox Church is canonically subject to the Moscow Patriarchate. The Roman Catholic Curia of the Riga Archdiocese is a religious organisation through which the authority of the Roman Catholic Church in the Riga Archdiocese is exercised in compliance with the teaching and discipline of the Roman Catholic Church and by which all the Latvian dioceses are controlled. The theological centre of the Buddhist congregation "Drinkung Kagyu Dharmachakra Centre" is situated in India. The centre of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) is Salt Lake City (USA). The Seventh Day Adventist church is part of the Baltic Union, which in turn is within the Adventist Church Worldwide (General Conference). Similarly, the "Salvation Army", registered in Latvia as a congregation, is part of the international body of the same name, being regionally subordinated to the Swedish corps. The Latvian Methodist Church is a component part of the United Nordic and Baltic Methodists, which appoints the furthermore appointing leader (superintendent) of the Latvian church. Of the twelve Muslim congregations in Latvia, seven have declared as their theological centre the Muslim Spiritual Board registered in Russia. These congregations in their standing rules have acknowledged that they are subject to their centre in religious, administrative and financial matters. Other Muslim congregations have claimed an "autonomous" status, but it is certain that four of them are subject to the theological centre in Saudi Arabia, and one to Tatarstan. The Sukyo Mahikari Latvian congregation is a constituent part of the organisation with similar name registered in Japan. The congregation indicates that it is subject to the oversight of a Luxemburg-based regional centre for Europe and Africa. The highest governing body of the Latvian Bahai’ congregation is situated in Haifa (Israel). The Riga congregation of Saint Gregory the Illuminator (Armenian) Church is within the Eparchy for New-Nahichevan and Russia of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The "parent church" of the Christian Science congregation in Riga is "The First Church of Christ Scientist".
According to Article 14(4) of the Law on Religious Organisations, religious organisations are allowed to invite foreign clergymen or missionaries to engage in religious activities in the Republic of Latvia, only if they have arranged permits of residence for them in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law. Visa regulations effective since 1999 require religious workers to present either an ordination certificate or evidence of religious education that corresponds to a Latvian bachelor’s degree in theology. The visa application process still is cumbersome. While the government is generally cooperative in helping resolve difficult visa cases in favour of missionary workers, problems still persist. In June 2002, an American religious worker successfully appealed against the refusal of a visa; however, that decision was later overturned after a further appeal by the government. Foreign evangelists and missionaries, including those from the United States, are permitted to hold meetings and to proselytize, but the Law stipulates that only domestic religious organizations may invite them to conduct such activities. Foreign religious denominations have criticized this provision.

D 27 September 2012    ARingolds Balodis

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