Sviatoslav Shevchuk states that Greek-Catholic Church is 1030 years

Head of UGCC Sviatoslav Shevchuk at the UGCC pilgrimage in Zarvanitsa

For 1030 years, in the families of the faithful of the Greek Catholic Church, Christian faith has been passed down as the greatest treasure. This was said by the head of the UGCC Sviatoslav Shevchuk at the UGCC event in Zarvanitsa on July 15, reports the official website of the Church.

"Today in Zarvanitsa we feel thankful that for 1030 years in our families the gift of Christian faith of our Church has been passed down from one believing heart to another as the greatest treasure of our people. Today we thank God that it was the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church that was honored to be a successor of Prince Vladimir and his Holy Baptism," he said.

Shevchuk added, "Our Church for 1030 years was not only the defender, the soul of the Ukrainian people, but also the Church of the state."

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Catholic Church of the Eastern Rite, arose from the Brest Union (1596) between part of the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Kiev and All Rus of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Rome. In October 1596, most of the bishops of the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Kiev, headed by Metropolitan of Kiev, Galicia and All Rus Mikhail Rogoza (as part of the Constantinople Patriarchate) at a council in Brest decided to recognize the supreme jurisdiction of the Pope. The conditions of the union provided, alongside preserving by the faithful and clergy of the Byzantine rite, recognition of the power of the Pope and Catholic dogmas. Subsequently, the Uniate Church took root in Galicia, Volhynia and Podolye, which were part of the Commonwealth.

Earlier at the UGCC pilgrimage in Zarvanitsa on July 15, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko delivered a speech about the Tomos in a joint prayer with the Greek Catholics.

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