UGCC Not to Change Its Position on Recognition of Baptisms Administered in Kyivan Patriarchate

The director of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) Information Department, Ihor Yatsiv, commented on the letter of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), to the participants of the Hierarchical Council of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The director of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) Information Department, Ihor Yatsiv, commented on the letter of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), to the participants of the Hierarchical Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in which the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate criticizes the actions of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church which recognized the sacrament of baptism administered in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate.

“Our position is based on the canonical law, according to which any baptism administered in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit is effective and 're-baptizing' is unacceptable. This response of ours should not be viewed as an interference in the inter-Orthodox dialogue. We were asked a concrete question and we answered it,” stated Yatsiv in a commentary to Kommersant.