LEADER OF GREEK CATHOLICS CHANGES ATTITUDE TOWARD MEETING OF PONTIFF AND PATRIARCH TO ENTHUSIASTIC
Interfax-Religiia, 31 May 2016
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who earlier had criticized the first meeting of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill in history has responded to it with enthusiasm.
"I think it was an historic meeting. We are very thankful to the Lord for the fact that finally it occurred, because we, Ukrainian Greek Catholics, have for decades been seen as a hindrance to this meeting," the archbishop declared in an interview with the American Catholic news agency CAN.
"I think that the Holy Father turned a new page in the history of relations between Catholics and Orthodox," he noted.
Meanwhile, shortly after said meeting, which occurred in Havana on 12 February, S. Shevchuk has declared that "when the Vatican and Moscow organize a meeting or sign some joint texts, then we cannot expect anything good from it."
He expressed the opinion that the joint declaration signed by the pontiff and patriarch was used by the Moscow patriarchate for political purposes.
"There is no question that this text evoked deep disappointment among many believers of our church as well as just caring citizens of Ukraine. Today many who have spoken to me on this matter have said that they feel betrayed by the Vatican and disappointed by the half-truths in this document," the leader of the Uniates declared. (tr. by PDS, posted 1 June 2016)
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