Whenever Russia occupies Ukraine, the UGCC loses its legal status, - Metropolitan Borys Gudziak

This was stated during a panel discussion at the Institute of Peace in Washington by Metropolitan Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC), as reported by the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) website.

Every time the Russian state occupies Ukrainian territory, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church loses its legal status and faces persecution, he noted.

"It was like this during the reign of Catherine the Great, in the 19th century, and in the 20th century when the Church was liquidated, and it's happening now. Ukrainian Churches and religious organizations understand that Russian occupation brings restrictions or even the destruction of our religious freedom," emphasized the hierarch.

Metropolitan Gudziak pointed out that there are almost no remaining active Catholic priests on the occupied territories, whether of the Eastern or Western rite.

It's worth noting that a delegation from the UCCRO visited the United States, where its members shared personal testimonies of the suffering of the Ukrainian people due to Russian aggression.

On October 30, the UCCRO delegation offered evidence about Russian repression on the occupied territories during meetings with American experts and thought leaders in Washington, D.C. The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church was represented by Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia Borys Gudziak and Reverend Oleksa Petriv, Head of the Department of External Relations of the UGCC in Ukraine.