RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Ukrainian Catholics seek communication with U.S.A.

U.G.K.Ts. PATRIARCH MEETS WITH WILLIAM TAYLOR.

They talked about war and inter-confessional relations

RISU, 2 October 2019

 

Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGKTs) conducted a working meeting with the temporary American charge d'affaires in Ukraine, William Taylor. During the meeting the parties discussed inter-confessional relations in Ukraine and ensuring the necessary conditions for maintaining religious peace. This was reported by the information department of the UGKTs.

Patriarch Sviatoslav emphasized that the UGKTs is open to dialogue with all confessions and at the same time it does not interfere in the intra-Orthodox conflicts. He said a dialogue between churches is possible when both sides recognize each other as subjects of such a dialogue and express mutual respect.

 

"In Ukraine today, ecumenical dialogue is not so simple. There is no official dialogue. Although on our part, we are open to communication with everybody who is ready for at least bilateral talk," His Beatitude Sviatoslav said.

 

"Unfortunately, in recent years not a single attempt at meeting with Metropolitan Onufry has met with success," he added.

 

The parties also talked about the war in the Donbass. They talked about how it is possible to prevent or to stop this war. And how to then heal the wounds.

 

"On our part, we have concluded that there is no military resolution of this war. But on the other hand, it is impossible to achieve real peace if all sides do not respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine and do not respect our country as a subject of international law," the patriarch stressed.

 

His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked the representative of the U.S.A., William Taylor, that his country is trying to establish the foundations of international law so that "the rule of law" will be more effective than the "right of the strong" in the contemporary world.

 

At the end of the meeting, the head of the UGKTs gave his guest a presentation publication about the UGKTs and the book "Persecution for Truth." "The first book shows the face of our church today in Ukraine and in the whole world. And the second is about the persecution of the church in soviet times," UGKTs Patriarch Sviatoslav noted. (tr. by PDS, posted 2 October 2019)


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