Head of UGCC: 'Russia is inciting national egoism in various European countries'
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), His Beatitude Sviatoslav, stated this during an interview with the Catholic Information Agency (CIA), as reported by the UGCC Department for Information.
“Russia seeks to reopen old wounds in Europe that Pope John Paul II worked to heal — wounds between the Germans and French, between Poles and Germans, and between Ukrainians and Poles. Today, Russia aims to divide us all once again,” emphasized His Beatitude Sviatoslav. “We are aware that Russia is funding all the ultra-nationalist parties in Europe. Therefore, when anyone introduces us to ideas of national selfishness or radical nationalism, we know who is behind it.”
According to the head of the UGCC, these divisive movements must be countered through Christian solidarity, a principle that Pope John Paul II consistently advocated.
“We must be wiser than those who are trying to incite national egoism and radical sentiments. I believe the remedy lies in Christian solidarity, which John Paul II promoted in Ukraine. This is the best cure for national egoism,” he stressed.
“I would also like to note that John Paul II apologized to the Ukrainian people on behalf of the entire Catholic Church for the mistakes of the past. My predecessor, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, sought forgiveness from everyone — including the Polish people — for all the wrongs they suffered at the hands of Ukrainians, in the presence of the Pope. The Pope’s visit to Ukraine in 2001 was also an act of mutual forgiveness, a healing of memory, and a demonstration of Christian solidarity. This solidarity must now serve as a vaccine against Moscow’s propaganda, which fuels nationalism in the modern world,” noted His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
