UGCC Head invited UOC Primate to the blessing of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ

As part of his visit to Ukraine, Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, on June 7^th in Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, held a meeting with Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sadoban), UOC Primate. Participants of the meeting were: His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk); UGCC Head, Archbishop Thomas Edward Gullickson, Apostolic Nuncio for Ukraine,  Metropolitan Antoniy (Pakanych); Manager of UOC (MP) Issues, Archbishop Oleksandr (Drabynko); Secretary of UOC (MP) Primate, and Yuriy Bohutsky, Advisor to the President – Head of Presidential Administration Main Office for Humanitarian Development Affairs.

After welcoming words, Cardinal Kurt Koch conveyed the sincerest greetings to Metropolitan Volodymyr from Holy Father Francis.

During the meeting there was a discussion of the perspectives for an ecumenical dialogue in Ukraine. Metropolitan Volodymyr ascertained that, unfortunately, at present among the average faithful, the ecumenical dialogue is perceived as a betrayal of Orthodoxy.  In the course of the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav greeted Metropolitan Volodymyr with the 1025^th Jubilee of the Baptism of Rus-Ukraine and stated that UGCC representatives will participate in all the state events marking this jubilee.

UGCC Head invited the UOC Primate to participate in the celebrations on the occasion of the blessing of the main Cathedral of Greek-Catholics.  “This is a very joyous event in the life of our Church, but our joy will not be complete if our Orthodox brethren do not join us,” noted His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

Metropolitan Volodymyr expressed his gratitude for the invitation and wished God’s blessings on the completion of the construction of the cathedral.

As had been reported, on June 7, 2013, at the Institute of St. Thomas Aquinas (13 Yakir St. in Kyiv) between 6 and 7:30 PM a round table discussion with Cardinal Kurt Koch as the main speaker will be held. Joining the main speaker will also be: UGCC Head His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk); Archbishop Thomas Edward Gallickson; Metropolitan Antoniy (Pakanych); Archbishop Petro Herkulian (Malchuk), the Ordinate of the Roman-Catholic Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese in Ukraine.

Also Cardinal Koch will visit Lviv where he will meet with lecturers and students at UCU and will visit the Sviato-Uspenska Lavra in Univ.  On June 10^th, the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity will visit Uzhhorod and Mukachevo.

UGCC Department of Information