13. The members of the Saeima will continue their attempts to organize the property of St. Peter's Church / Article / LSM.LV

The Commission has decided to continue its work on a number of bills not finalized during the 12th Saeima. The members of the committee decided to press for further consideration of a new bill to support the Freedom Monument and the Riga Brothers Cemetery, which also covers the question of their legal status. The Commission will also examine the new Cultural Centers Bill, which provides for the definition of the status of cultural centers in Latvia to ensure their continuity and development potential.

As a general rule, the 13th Saeima may decide to adopt 145 bills whose examination has not been completed during the previous legislature.

The Saeima routine prescribes that if the previous Saeima did not complete the examination of the bill during its mandate, but that it is the subject of one or two readings, the next Saeima may decide, at its first session , if the examination of the bill is in progress. Previous laws of the Saeima may be examined by the President of the Republic, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Saeima Commission or at least five deputies. The Saeima decides separately on each bill and, if it decides to continue its examination, sets the deadline for submission of the responsible commission and proposals. The bill submitted to the competent committee in this order is considered as adopted at first reading.

CONTEXT:

12. In October, the Saeima started the reorganization of St. Peter's Church.

The St. Peter's Church of Riga is not registered in the land register, but its legal owner is the Riga City Council. The issue of church property has not been settled since the nineties. Among them are the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (LELB) and the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (VELBL). The Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church outside Latvia (LELBAL) has also claimed its right to enjoy the temple.

To acquire the property, LELB and VELBL decided to merge. The work of the two churches on VELBL's draft agreement on joining the LELB began last October. .

In September of this year, a cooperation agreement was signed between the LELB, the VELBL and St. Peter's Church of St. Petersburg for the restoration of the community and the unity of the city. Church. The contracting parties have agreed on measures that will be taken to implement the gradual accession of VELBL to the LELB. Under the contract, LELB agreed that the legal ownership of St. Peter's Church should be determined by the St. Peter's Church of Germany after joining the LELB.

The bill provides the property right of St. Peter's Church, a church belonging to St. Peter's Church, to St. Peter's Church.

Given the fact that the church also has important artistic and historical evidence, the bill will require LELB to ensure its maintenance and preservation. The bill also provides that the Riga City Council and the LELB jointly establish an advisory body that will annually approve the St. Peter's Church Plan of Action.