Lionginas Virbalas

Archbishop Lionginas Virbalas, S.J. (born 6 July 1961) is a Lithuanian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Archbishop of the Kaunas from 11 June 2015 until 1 March 2019. He was Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Panevėžys from 6 June 2013 until 11 June 2015.

Life Virbalas was born on 6 July 1961 in Biržai, Lithuanian SSR, present day Lithuania), in the Diocese of Panevėžys. After graduating from the local school, he studied at the Vilnius Civil Engineering Institute (1979–1981). He interrupted his studies to fulfill his compulsory service requirement in the Soviet Army from 1981 to 1983. In 1983 he entered the Inter-Diocesan Theological Seminary in Kaunas, which was soon closed by the Soviet authorities. He then studied theology clandestinely and in 1986 entered the Theological Seminary

On 6 June 2013, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Panevėžys, and on 30 August 2013 he was consecrated a bishop by Cardinal Audrys Bačkis. On 11 June 2015, Pope Francis appointed him Archbishop of Kaunas. Beginning on 28 October 2014, he was a Vice-President of the Episcopal Conference of Lithuania.