Ukraine seen as remaining stumbling block for Catholic-Orthodox ecumenical advances
June 28, 2010
Pope Benedict XVI remarked on June 28 that he sees great signs of hope in relations between the Holy See and the world’s Orthodox churches. While the ecumenical climate has undoubtedly improved in the past five years, the conflict over the Catholic presence in the Ukraine remains the single greatest impediment to further progress, says Sandro Magister of L’Espresso. He notes that the dispute reached its zenith in 2003, when Pope John Paul II was prepared to recognize a Byzantine Catholic patriarchate of Kiev. The outraged reaction from Moscow and Constantinople prompted the Vatican to shelve the idea, and Pope Benedict has not revived it.
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Posted by: Gregory108 -
Jun. 28, 2010 10:31 PM ET USA
Russia and friends, the Russian Orthodox Church, want to eliminate Ukraine from the earth. Ukrainian Catholics, who won't kiss the Russian Patriarch's ring and give up national aspirations are one of the biggest impediments to forced "unity" between Ukraine and Moscow. So it must be! Ukrainians died by millions to keep their Catholic heritage, to stand for the Church..they were martyred by the Soviets with the silence of the Russian Orthodox hierarchy. It's time for the Church to stand for them.
