UGCC head declares religious escalation in Ukraine only benefits the enemy

Sviatoslav Shevchuk. Photo: hromadske

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Sviatoslav Shevchuk, expressed gratitude to a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for serving as a "catalyst for dialogue," according to the UGCC press service.

He noted, "Unfortunately, today in Ukraine we have stopped talking to each other, we have stopped meeting. And when there are no meetings and dialogue, it leads to escalation."

Shevchuk emphasized that only the enemy benefits from such escalation.

"Religious peace in Ukraine is one of the elements of national security. Russia has sought to destroy this peace and turn the war into an interfaith conflict. This visit truly aimed to build bridges, encourage dialogue, and perhaps even rebuke those who refuse to speak," concluded the head of the UGCC.

As reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ), in Zolochiv, Lviv region, the mayor, deputies, representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), and Greek Catholics are harassing a priest and the community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), trying to expel believers from the town under pretextual reasons.

Earlier, Greek Catholic priest Vasyl Hasynets called all UOC priests "agents of the FSB and accomplices of terrorists" and also claimed that many of them participated in the torture of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers.

Additionally, in the village of Tsenyava in the Kolomyia district, Greek Catholics took away a UOC church dedicated to the Icon of the Mother of God "Pantanassa".

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