Patriarch Sviatoslav: Discussions Regarding Pseudo-Synod at Complete Standstill

Stalin’s regime used the Russian Orthodox Church for the forced liquidation of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. However, the Russian clergy still have not apologized to Greek Catholics for the appropriation of all their property after the war, Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) of the UGCC said in an interview to the newspaper Day.

“In my opinion, the ability to apologize is an indicator of the living Christian conscience, a necessary condition for the so-called healing of the memory. For example, the mutual repentance and forgiveness between our church and the Polish Roman Catholic Church did take place. We experienced a unique moment, which will hopefully be studied and voiced. I know for sure that the Polish bishops seek to conduct a similar act of mutual reconciliation with the Russian Orthodox Church. But when the question is raised about what the ROC should apologize to the Polish Catholic Church for, difficulties arise,” noted the hierarch.

Patriarch Sviatoslav said that no symbolic reconciliation took place between the UGCC and the ROC which, in his opinion, is “a very serious obstacle for the healing of memory and, therefore, for the development of church relations.”

“Very often, they talk about the obstacle for meeting with the pope, which, according to Patriarch Kirill, is the Uniates in the west of Ukraine. And this has been repeated for nearly 20 years, almost each year at various forums… But the real obstacle, to some extent, is the inability to admit one’s mistakes, particularly of the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church was used by Stalin’s regime for the forced liquidation of the UGCC. All the discussions about the Lviv pseudo-synod are at a complete standstill,” he stated.