U.S. Ambassador and UGCC Head Discuss Role of Church in Ukrainian Society and Eurointegration

On August 21, 2013, in Kyiv, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk met with the new U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey R. Pyatt. The meeting was held at the request of the U.S. ambassador.

According to the Information Department of the UGCC, the parties talked about the role that the churches in general and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church specifically play in building civil society.

The ambassador said that he believes that the heads of the churches are leaders of the civil society. He was interested in learning about the prospect of European integration and whether the citizens of Ukraine see their future in the European community.

Patriarch Shevchuk described the position of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO) in this regard. The head of the UGCC mentioned the trip of the AUCCRO delegation this February to Brussels and the various meetings which took place at the highest level. The members of the delegation witnessed the European aspirations of the Ukrainian people.

Patriarch Shevchuk said that in October the AUCCRO delegation will visit the capital of the European Union again.

The sides also reviewed the state of religious freedom in Ukraine. Geoffrey R. Pyatt noted that the United States is closely watching this area of public life. And the head of the UGCC stressed the important role that the AUCCRO has in maintaining interdenominational and interreligious peace in Ukraine.

The U.S. ambassador spoke very positively about the important historical event for the UGCC – the solemn consecration of the Patriarchal Cathedral. He described the attention the event had from the foreign community, observers, experts, and media, and noted its size and true spirituality.

In addition, the ambassador’s forthcoming visit to Lviv and the Ukrainian Catholic University was mentioned.

At the end, Patriarch Shevchuk gave Geoffrey R. Pyatt a newly issued Ukrainian and English publication “The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: First steps, Testimonies, and Rebirth.”