Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, the apostolic nuncio in Ukraine, said that the Vatican is praying for the union of the Orthodox Churches in Ukraine. At a press conference held in Kharkiv on 22 October 2001, he spoke about Catholic/Orthodox relations and the general situation in Ukraine.
The archbishop was asked how he assesses interreligious relations and the religious situation in Ukraine. He replied, “We are praying that the process of union of the Ukrainian Orthodox world happens as quickly as possible.” Eterovic continued: “The Catholic Church honors the Orthodox Church and is very positively disposed to it. Insofar as they also have maintained the apostolic succession, have the same holy sacraments, venerate the saints, especially the Mother of God, there is already unity between us.” He expressed grief that “in Ukraine there is schism among the Orthodox,” though he noted that “the Orthodox Churches have to solve the problem by honoring the canons.” The nuncio added that the Vatican values “the peace which has reigned in Ukraine for ten years and supports its capability in solving its problems with tolerance and a humanistic position.” Information for this article was taken from the Ukrainian-language site at www.radiosvoboda.org.