Vatican criticizes the actions of Ukrainian authorities to destroy the UOC

Archbishop of the RCC Claudio Gugerotti. Photo: kellogg.ox.ac.uk

On September 29, 2023, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches of the Roman Catholic Church, criticized the actions of Ukrainian authorities regarding the destruction of the UOC. He made this statement to a TASS correspondent on the eve of his elevation to cardinal.

According to Archbishop Gugerotti, authorities can only legislatively condemn individual members of the UOC who have committed specific crimes. He also emphasized that the entire Church cannot be destroyed due to the "political crimes" of its representatives.

"It is illegitimate to consider the entire Church a reality subject to destruction just because it allegedly had a more or less shared past with those who are now considered enemies," the Vatican representative was quoted as saying.

Regarding the criminal prosecution of Metropolitan Pavel, the deputy of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Prefect mentioned that the hierarch had worked extensively on the restoration of the monastery.

As reported by the UOJ, the Pope assured the Ukrainian Greek Catholics that he stands "with the Ukrainian people" in the conflict.

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