CWN - The chief ecumenical representative of the Russian Orthodox Church has repeated the complaint that the Eastern-rite Ukrainian Catholic Church constitutes "a bleeding wound on the body of Christendom."
Metropolitan Hilarian, who heads the external-relations department of the Moscow patriarchate, said that Ukrainian Catholic leaders have made "extremely politicized statements" contributing to the recent unrest in Ukraine. He also charged that Ukrainian Catholics have sought to profit from the political turmoil at the expense of Ukrainian Orthodox.
Metropolitan Hilarion suggested that the Vatican should curb the activities of Eastern-rite Catholics in Ukraine, said that the Holy See and the Moscow patriarchate should together discuss "why this wound bleeds all the time and why we cannot do anything to repair and heal it."
The Moscow patriarchate has frequently complained about the activities of the Ukrainian Catholic Church-- the largest of the Eastern churches in communion with Rome-- in a country that the Russian Orthodox Church regards as its "canonical territory." These complaints have sharpened as the Moscow patriarchate has sided strongly in with Russia regarding the political crisis in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Catholic Church has strongly supported the country's autonomy.
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