Orthodox demand talks on Ukraine’s Greek Catholics

A Russian Orthodox leader has launched a new attack on the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, demanding that “Uniatism” be made a key topic of future Catholic-Orthodox talks, writes Jonathan Luxmoore.

“Uniatism” is a pejorative Russian term used by Orthodox leaders for Greek Catholics, who combine the eastern liturgy with loyalty to Rome and were savagely persecuted under Soviet rule.

“A historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill took place in Havana this February, opening a new page in our bilateral relations – but right after the meeting, it was subjected to insults from Greek Catholic leaders,” said Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, the Russian Church’s foreign relations director. “Actions by Greek Catholics in Ukraine are raising problems again and again, while … attacks on the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Moscow Patriarchate are sowing distrust.”

Metropolitan Hilarion was answering questions about a mid-September meeting at Chieti in Italy of the Catholic-Orthodox Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue, which adopted a document on “Synodality and Primacy”.