Head of Ukrainian Uniates claims UGCC is not part of RCC structure

Head of the UGCC Sviatoslav Shevchuk during a round table in Kyiv. Photo: ugcc.ua

On August 18, 2025, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Sviatoslav Shevchuk, stated during a round table in Kyiv that the structure he leads is in communion with the Pope of Rome, but does not belong to the "Western Patriarchate". This was reported on the UGCC website.

According to Shevchuk, the UGCC considers the ancient Constantinople as its mother Church and strives to create a "unified Kyiv Church". "We are a local Church that is in communion with the Pope of Rome, but we do not belong to the Western Patriarchate. We are building our own," said the head of the Uniates.

He emphasized that the UGCC is seeking to obtain patriarchal status, which, in his words, is not about jurisdiction but the “maturity” of the Church. "We cannot abandon the idea of a patriarchate because for us it means to stop living," added Shevchuk.

Let us recall that in 2011, Sviatoslav Shevchuk was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the Major Archbishop of the UGCC, and Mykola Bychok, the bishop of the UGCC in Australia and New Zealand, was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis in 2024.

Earlier, the UOJ quoted Shevchuk's words that the claim about the emergence of the Uniates as a result of the 1596 Union of Brest is a lie and “Moscow propaganda”.

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