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Last Updated: 13 June 2013

CWN - Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, has issued an invitation to the country’s most prominent Orthodox leader to attend services for the opening of a new Catholic cathedral in Kiev. The Orthodox Metropolitan Vladimir expressed thanks for the invitation and “wished God’s blessings” on the cathedral, the Ukrainian Catholic Church reports.

The invitation to the Orthodox prelate, and his friendly reply, could mark a thaw in the often tense relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches in Ukraine. The Russian Orthodox Church had strongly objected to the plans to move the headquarters of the Ukrainian Catholic Church from Lviv to Kiev. But Metropolitan Vladimir—whose Ukrainian Orthodox Church- Moscow Patriarchate is allied with the Russian Church—seemed ready to accept the development.

In conversations with Catholic prelates last week—during a visit to Ukraine by Cardinal Kurt Koch, the president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity—Metropolitan Vladimir observed that “unfortunately,” many of the Orthodox faithful regard ecumenical dialogue as a betrayal of the Orthodox faith. His use of the word “unfortunately,” if it was accurately reported, suggested that the Orthodox leader would like to correct that perception.

Metropolitan Vladimir also said that tensions between Catholics and Orthodox should be resolved by the Ukrainian faithful, not by directives from Moscow.

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Last Updated: 13 June 2013

CWN - Christians should continue to serve as “a bridge between communities” in Iraq, the Chaldean Catholic Synod proclaimed at the close of a meeting in Baghdad.

Although half of Iraq’s Christians have fled the country during the past decade, the Chaldean Synod insisted on a maintaining a strong Christian presence in the country. The Synod called for the formation of capable Christians to serve in political leadership, active cooperation with other Christian communities, and outreach to the country’s Muslim majority.

The Chaldean Synod conclude with a festive dinner, hosted by Patriarch Raphael I Louis Sako. Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki attended as a guest.

In a final statement, the Synod voiced its concern over the continued bloodshed in Syria and promised prayers for the safety of two kidnapped Orthodox bishops.

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Last Updated: 11 June 2013

CWN - The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has forcefully denied that he dissents from the teaching of the Church on homosexuality.

“Some call you the most liberal head of the Ukrainian Church and that your views on homosexuality are very tolerant,” a journalist asked Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who is 43. “Do you believe [homosexuals] should at minimum have the right to civil unions and at maximum to marriages in the Ukrainian Church?”

The prelate replied:

I will attempt to answer this question expressing my views on this matter, then let the author of this question judge for himself whether I am a liberal or a conservative.

In accordance with the teaching of the Church, homosexual behavior is a grave sin which calls to heaven for vengeance. This is a group of very grave sins for which the Lord God Himself is the One Who repays. To these sins, which call out to God for vengeance, belongs also, for example, willful murder. In terms of gravity, the sin of homosexuality is comparable to that of murder. Therefore, if we are talking today about the right to have a homosexual "relationship," then we must also talk about the right to murder. Therefore, we cannot talk about the right to sin, for that is a view, which is self-contradictory.

Aside from that, Sacred Scripture succinctly and clearly condemns this type of behavior. For example, if the author of this question would read the first chapter of St. Paul's letter to the Romans (he would see that) the Apostle Paul clearly states that people who live in this way dishonor their bodies and that this is a manifestation of their spiritual blindness.

I don't want to judge those persons; I am not against any person. But, I am against sin, just as the Church is against the sin, but is for the person, because the person who is living this type of life, who sins, is wounding and destroying himself. And, therefore, the Church is against the sin yet protects the person and his dignity.

The conversation, which took place more than a year ago, has recently been translated into English.

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Last Updated: 11 June 2013

CWN - Speaking at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, the Vatican’s leading ecumenical official challenged the Eastern Orthodox world to “boldly examine its main ecclesiological problem, namely, autocephaly of national churches and their inclination toward nationalism.”

“From the Orthodox point of view, the Church is present in every local church that celebrates the Eucharist, so each Eucharistic community is a complete church,” said Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. “Instead, from the Catholic point of view, a separate Eucharistic community is not a complete church. Therefore, a basis of the Catholic Church is the unity of separate Eucharistic communities with each other and the bishop of Rome. That is, the Catholic Church lives in the mutual intersection of local churches in one universal Church.”

Thus, the Catholic Church should “strengthen the argument for the importance of the life and work of the church of the primacy of the Pope,” he continued, while Eastern Orthodoxy should “boldly examine its main ecclesiological problem, namely, autocephaly of national churches and their inclination toward nationalism.”

“The most important thing is not to lose sight of the goal of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, which, at least from the Catholic point of view, can consist only in the restoration of a visible communion of churches.”

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Last Updated: 20 June 2013

CWN - The head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate says that acceptance of same-sex marriage could lead to collapse of the West in 50 years.

“The main thing in life and international relations is not economics, not politics, but whether or not a specific group adheres to eternal moral norms or tries to contest them,” said Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin. “Russia has an excellent chance of telling the whole world that same-sex marriages and attempts to legalize incest and pedophilia are death and suicide.”

“Russia and Europe will not exist” without Christian ideals, he added. “Western civilization will not exist another fifty years without them.”

The Russian Orthodox official also strongly criticized foreign adoptions and adoptions by homosexual couples.

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Last Updated: 04 June 2013

Prot. 284/2013R - Rabweh 30/05/2013

“Come to a common word.” (Surat aal ʿIm'ran 3: 64)

The Second Vatican Council says, “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.” (Gaudium et Spes, Preface)

Saint Paul says, “Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” (I Corinthians 12: 26) Saint Paul also says, “God …hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5: 18) The Qur’an says: "Come to a common word." A Hadith also says, “The believers are like one person; if his head aches, the whole body aches with fever and sleeplessness.” (Sahih Muslim 6260)

Beginning from these venerable verses and sublime teachings, we express our optimism for the holding of this Second Geneva Conference. We call for participating in this conference, in the name of the thousands of victims who have fallen on dear Syria’s soil, widows, orphans, handicapped, sick, bereaved, kidnapped, disappeared, students, young people, those full of doubt, wounded in conscience and feelings...and every suffering person in Syria.

In the name of all of them, and on the basis of our pastoral responsibility, and as President of the Assembly of Catholic Hierarchy in Syria, we address this appeal to the Russian Federation and the United States of America who have called this conference, and all those who will take part: sovereign states, organisations, sons and daughters of Syria, at home and abroad, allies and opponents. All of you, work with trust, in the spirit of reconciliation, dialogue and sincere citizenship... Put all your efforts into making this conference succeed. This is a very important opportunity, in a decisive central phase, and in the teeth of an historic, bloody, destructive crisis, the most serious in the history of Syria.