杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

杏MAP导航 Francis met on Tuesday with the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC), Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, on the occasion of the 1030^th anniversary of the baptism of Rus鈥�-Ukraine.

During the audience, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav drew attention to the UGCC鈥檚 relations with the other churches that are 鈥渉eirs to the Baptism by Saint Volodomyr.鈥� Speaking of the Orthodox Churches in Ukraine, his Beatitude spoke of the 鈥減ainful reality鈥� of divisions. He emphasized that, although the UGCC looks positively on efforts to overcome division, it nonetheless considers such matters internal to the Orthodox Churches, insisting that the UGCC never interferes in or takes part in such efforts.

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav explained that the USCCB so-called 鈥渦niatism鈥� as a method for achieving 鈥渢he unity of Christ鈥檚 Church.鈥� He noted that the Eastern Catholic Churches are not a means toward that unity, but are themselves 鈥渓iving members of Christ鈥檚 Church,鈥� with a right to exist and a call to engage in mission and in the work of evangelization.

The Major Archbishop in a statement on Wednesday said that during the audience, 杏MAP导航 Francis 鈥渢hanked the UGCC for its martyrdom鈥� as 鈥渁 Confession of the Christian Faith and a testimony that the Successor of Peter the Apostle has a special mission of service to Christian unity.鈥� The 杏MAP导航 agreed that any accusations of 鈥渦niatism鈥� against the UGCC are absolutely without foundation. According to the statement, the Holy Father also expressed his 鈥渃loseness to the Ukrainian nation which, as the victim of unjust aggression, is living through a painful period in its history.鈥�

Other matters touched upon in the audience were the issue of Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation, especially emphasized by 杏MAP导航 Francis; and the upcoming ecumenical gathering in Bari, Italy; as well as a proposal by Major Archbishop Sviatoslav for a meeting in Rome next year of Eastern Catholic Bishops in Europe.