Patriarch Sviatoslav: ‘Europe Was Built Not on Same-Sex Marriages, But on Respect for Human Dignity’

Religious communities in Ukraine are always concerned when the Verkhovna Rada votes for the so-called Euro packets, because Ukrainian parliamentarians often selectively vote for laws that are necessary for integration, said the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, in an interview with the Lviv Regional Council.

According to the head of the church, among the Ukrainian society non-traditional – homosexual – marriage is gaining wider acceptance. “Harmonizing Ukrainian legislation with the European one, we quickly adopt the diseases of the Western society. In European legislation I see no mention of the Christian roots of the culture. We are mistaken if we think that in order to have European prosperity we need to come down with these illnesses,” said Patriarch Sviatoslav.

He said that in today's society, which does not live according to God's commandments, there are different ideas of morality and values. Often in the name of so-called tolerance, says the head of the church, life is destroyed, which, conversely, must be protected.

“Among the requirements of the European community are pseudo-values. The EU looks like a teenager who is testing the limits of morality and needs a Christian education. Europe was built not on same-sex marriages, but on the respect for human dignity, the protection of human rights and freedoms, on honesty in politics and business. On these foundations Europe arose, but it has forgotten about it. These are the values ​​which today the church defends in our society. When it comes to the protection of life from its natural beginning to natural end, then it is the basis for the opposition to euthanasia, abortion, and other acts that violate the dignity of life,” said the head of the UGCC.

He expressed regret that today we live in a post-Soviet society, where human dignity is not of immediate concern.

Patriarch Sviatoslav said that now the episcopal conferences of Europe are actively working to be the heard voice of Christians. “We want to join the European discourse to defend Christian values ​​in Ukraine and Europe,” said the head of the church.

He refutes the assertion that if Ukraine adopts the law on gay marriage, then it will join the European community. “I can affirm that it is not so. Sometimes our legislators, so as to not implement other bills, implement ones like this. It is much easier for them in Europe and in Ukraine to vote against the traditional family than against corruption, the unfair judicial system that tolerates selective justice. They focus on minor issues so as to not solve the main ones,” said the head of the UGCC, the Information Department of the UGCC reports.