Patriarch Sviatoslav: Aspirations for Patriarchate and Unified Local Church Do Not Contradict Each Other
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Sviatoslav, said in an interview to Channel 5 that the aspiration of the UGCC for the patriarchate and its aspiration for the establishment of the unified national church do not contradict each other.
He said that that the UGCC will make an effort to continue the ecumenical dialogue “together with our Orthodox brethren.” “I can say that during less than a year of my leadership of the church, I managed to establish friendly and constructive relations with all the Orthodox Churches acting in Ukraine. Perhaps, it is only the first step or half a step, but I hope that these steps will continue during the new year. And we will continue to pray and think about one national church in Ukraine in our efforts to reach unity,” said the hierarch.
According to him, the church develops as it advances forward. “We always say that each local Eastern Church in its development progresses toward the patriarchate, but we also realize that our patriarchate will have the ecumenical dimension. So we will always try to progress together, not to grow in power against someone but to grow together with all our brethren in the faith, with whom we have more things in common than not,” said Patriarch Sviatoslav, reported the Information Department of the UGCC.
