Patriarch Sviatoslav tells Americans that Ukrainian authorities show preference for one denomination

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Sviatoslav, stated that it appears that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych continues to show preference only to one denomination in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, and that he openly declares it. The hierarch, who is visiting USA, said so in an interview to the Philadelphia Radio Station (WWDB 860 am), the Information Department of the UGCC reports.

According to the head of the UGCC, the “officials of various levels even subconsciously imitate their president and show such attitude to other denominations.” Patriarch Sviatoslav said that a few months ago, Yanukovych issued an order instructing all state officials to treat equally all the denominations. According to him, the order was executed in different ways, for instance, some governors met with representatives of all the churches, but it was not the case in Odesa.

“In our last letter from the Synod, we thanked the president for his will for the treatment to be equal, but one cannot see that at the local level in actual fact,” said the head of UGCC.

He also thanked the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States for its all-round support for the church in Ukraine shown during the last 20 years and expressed an opinion that its unity all over the world will be promoted by the person of the head of the church.