Russian Orthodox official renews criticism of Ukrainian Catholics

September 20, 2016

A leading Russian Orthodox official has renewed his criticism of Ukraine’s Eastern-rite Catholics.

Days after characterizing Eastern Catholics as obstacles to Christian unity, Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, met in Chieti, Italy, with Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity.

Metropolitan Hilarion spoke with Cardinal Koch about his “profound concern over hostile statements and actions recently made with regard to the Moscow Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by leaders of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church,” the Moscow Patriarchate said in a statement.

Metropolitan Hilarion “also expressed the conviction that the issue of unia [Eastern Catholics] needs to be revisited by the Joint Commission for Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue,” the statement added.

 

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Further information:

• Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity Cardinal Kurt Koch (Moscow Patriarchate)
• Russian Orthodox official: Eastern-rite Catholics are obstacles to ecumenical unity (CWN, 9/19)