ROC rep. explains why the Vatican is not the right place for Russia-Ukraine discussions

Moscow, July 16, 2025

Photo: global-guide.org Photo: global-guide.org     

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is poorly controlled by the Vatican, and has its own opinions on many issues. This complicates the relationship between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic churches. Moreover, the Vatican does not contradict the UGCC’s proclamations against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), and this prevents the Vatican from being a neutral platform for discussions on the Ukrainian conflict. This is the sum of an interview of Metropolitan Antony (Sevriuk), Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department of External Relations, with Radio Sputnik, as reported by RIA News.

Met. Antony recalled in the interview that the late Roman Pope Francis was one of the few in the West who publicly stood up for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, in part after the Ukrainian authorities expelled the monks from the Kiev Caves Lavra. Pope Francis said then that he sorrowed together with the monks, and his heart aches for what is happening. He was also against the Ukrainian law banning the UOC, and was heavily criticized for this stance by the Ukrainian Greek Catholics—who all but accused him of being a Kremlin agent. Met. Antony said that although the UGCC is a part of the Roman Catholic Church and formally in submission to it, the Holy See apparently has little control over the UGCC.

The Metropolitan noted that he has served in Rome and can say that the whole subject of Greek Catholicism in Ukraine is a “complicated matter,” and it is better not to discuss it publicly.

“The openly Russophobic declarations coming from the leaders of this Greek Catholic Church go directly against the official statements of the Vatican leadership, beginning with the Roman Pope. Nevertheless, we have never heard any of these Greek Catholic declarations refuted or argued against (by the RCC’s leadership),” Metropolitan Anthony emphasized.

It must also be noted that not long before he passed away, even Pope Francis, despite his previous public support of the UOC, received the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko.

Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!

7/16/2025

See also
Patriarch Bartholomew works toward a common Pascha date with Rome Patriarch Bartholomew works toward a common Pascha date with Rome Patriarch Bartholomew works toward a common Pascha date with Rome Patriarch Bartholomew works toward a common Pascha date with Rome
The question as to why a common date would be needed if there was no intention to concelebrate, is left officially unanswered by the Phanar. Our goal is not to please the secular west, but to serve Holy Orthodoxy Our goal is not to please the secular west, but to serve Holy Orthodoxy
Archpriest Andrei Novikov Our goal is not to please the secular west, but to serve Holy Orthodoxy "Our goal is not to please the secular west, but to serve Holy Orthodoxy"
An Odessa priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church talks about a Uniate invasion
Archpriest Andrei Novikov
We are posting a translation of this interview now as one example of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic church’s (Uniate’s) methods currently being implemented in eastern and southern Ukraine. Born of Schism Born of Schism
Bishop Job (Smakouz) Born of Schism Born of Schism
On the historical circumstances of the emergence of the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada”
Bishop Job (Smakouz)
On the subject of the historical circumstances of the Ukrainian churches born from schism across the ocean, we spoke with Bishop Job (Smakouz).

Subscribe
to our mailing list

* indicates required
×