At a press conference at UNIAN today, Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) said that the state leadership puts no pressure on the UGCC, but the authorities in Ukraine do not observe the principle of equal treatment of all the denominations, especially at the local level.
At a press conference at UNIAN today, Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) said that the state leadership puts no pressure on the UGCC, but the authorities in Ukraine do not observe the principle of equal treatment of all the denominations, especially at the local level.
“For instance, for some reason, they cancelled the traditional prayer for Ukraine in the St. Sophia Cathedral, which was attended by the heads of all the churches. It was not an ordinary prayer, it was a sign of equal respect for all the churches,” stated the patriarch.
Patriarch Sviatoslav noted that at the local, regional level, representatives of the authorities show a favorable attitude only toward one denomination. At the same time, the officials deliberately ignore all the legal rights of the Greek Catholics.
“Let me give a vivid example about Odesa. Our Odesa-Crimean Exarchate for many years has asked to allocate a land plot for the construction of a church in the regional center. However, there is no result so far. I also receive various addresses from priests from other cities, particularly from the central, south and eastern Ukraine where our communities are. It is impossible to realize there one’s legal, constitutional right to have the possibility to pray freely,” he said.
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholics expressed hope that the situation will change with time. He drew optimism from the recent assurance of President Viktor Yanukovych at the meeting with the heads of the Ukrainian churches and religious organizations where the president stated that he would personally monitor the observance of equal treatment to all the denominations.
“The leaders of the AUCCRO and I raised the question of the equal treatment last year, at the meeting with the president. We raise this question all the time. During the last meeting it was not ventilated only because the president himself said that he would try to treat everyone equally. We have submitted to the president a list of questions to be settled. Let me tell you also that in comparison to the list submitted by us last year, it is almost identical. This means that no progress was made during the year. Perhaps, the church dialogue is only beginning,” stressed Patriarch Sviatoslav.