Patriarch Filaret: We wish for good relations between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the UGCC

Patriarch Filaret answered a question posed by a reporter from the Priamyy TV Channel whether the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church was involved in the process of obtaining the Tomos of autocephaly.

“The Greek Catholic Church is a Catholic Church. And it has no direct relation to Orthodox affairs. We want good relations between the Greek-Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Why? So that we together defend the interests of the Ukrainian State.

And not only the Greek Catholics, but also the Protestant Church, the Roman Catholic Church and other religions. Now we have such relationships maintained in the established All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations. But the Greek Catholic Church has no direct relation to this process, although it has expressed support for the process of granting autocephaly. The reason is that it is interested in the absence of the religious confrontation in Ukraine to make Ukraine strong as a State, and that we should be united as citizens of Ukraine to jointly defend the interests of our people and our State,” stressed Patriarch Filaret.