Vatican respects the decision of Ukrainian nation to create the one Local Church

On September 25, 2018, in the framework of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin met with Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary of the Intergovernmental Relations of the Holy See, the official site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reports.

They exchanged views on the process of granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Holy See respects the decision of the Ukrainian people to create the one local Church.

The Ukrainian side stressed that the Tomos, as the first step towards a new church, would become an act of deep historical justice and a harbinger of peace, unity and harmony, strengthening the constitutional principle of freedom of religion and protecting the rights and freedoms of the Ukrainian people. This process has already begun and the return to the “status quo” is impossible.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the support of the Holy See and a clear position regarding the provision of the Tomos are an important step for strengthening the interreligious dialogue.