Ukrainian bishop: Rome does not understand Eastern Catholic perspective
March 09, 2016
A bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church argues that the Vatican does not understand the perspective of the Byzantine Catholic community.
Explaining the unhappiness of many Ukrainian Catholics over the joint statement issued by Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, Bishop Hlib Lonchyna said that "there seem to be problems in how Rome understands the world."
"We don't doubt the goodness of Pope Francis," the Ukrainian prelate said. But he said that Vatican officials in general do not understand the problems facing the Eastern Catholics of Ukraine, or the political situation in that country. "Vatican officials are still calling this conflict a civil war, when it's really a Russian war of aggression," he charged.
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Further information:
- Pope's Russian outreach stirs anxieties (National Catholic Reporter)
- Pope pays tribute to Ukrainian Catholics’ loyalty as hierarchy reaffirms communion (CWN, 3/7)
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