UOC Chancellor tells WCC about discrimination against the Church

Representatives of the UOC at a meeting with representatives of the World Council of Churches. Photo: vzcz.church.ua

On May 11, 2023, with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, the Chancellor of the UOC, Metropolitan Anthony, met with the leadership delegation of the World Council of Churches (WCC). This was reported by the Synodal Department of Foreign Relations of the UOC.

The WCC delegation included Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, Lutheran Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the WCC Central Committee, H.E. Archbishop Dr Vicken Aykazian, vice-moderator of the WCC Central Committee, Peter Prove, WCC director of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, and Prof. Dr Vasile-Octavian Mihoc, WCC programme executive for Ecumenical Relations and Faith and Order.

The meeting was also attended by Archpriest Oleksandr Bakhov, Chairman of the UOC Legal Department of the UOC, Archpriest Mykolai Danylevych, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the UOC, Archpriest Vasyl Pryts (UOC) and Professor S. Bortnik, DECR staff members. The delegation of guests is accompanied by the cleric of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna diocese, Archpriest Mykolai Popescu.

During the meeting, the situation in the sphere of interfaith and state-church relations in Ukraine was discussed. Metropolitan Anthony spoke about systematic violations of the rights of believers and religious organizations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as well as about legislative initiatives directed against the Church. The parties shared their views on the possible role of the WCC in resolving crisis issues in the religious sphere of Ukraine.

According to the WCC website, the delegation is visiting Ukraine "with the aim of restoring relations with churches and religious organizations and seeking opportunities to jointly achieve a just peace in Ukraine."

As the UOJ reported, on May 11, 2023, representatives of the delegation of the World Council of Churches from Switzerland, who arrived in Kyiv that day, came to the prayer standing of the UOC, which was led by Metropolitan Varsonofy, near the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

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