Pope Leo’s Meeting with Head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Calls Attention to Role of That Denomination Not Only in Ukraine but Across Former Soviet Space

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Feb. 13 – On February 12, Pope Leo XIV received at the Vatican Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the second meeting the two have ad since Leo became leader of the world’s Roman Catholics and one that called attention both to the Vatican’s role in Ukraine, and the UGCC’s role there and elsewhere.

            Since Putin launched his expanded invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the papacy has carried out a quiet humanitarian effort in Ukraine as well as calling for an end to the fighting and negotiations toward a just peace (zenit.org/2026/02/13/the-leader-of-the-ukrainian-catholic-church-the-largest-church-in-communion-with-rome-is-received-by-the-pope/).

            Pope Leo reportedly reaffirmed that commitment at his meeting with the UGCC leader, who both welcomed that and emphasized that the UGCC is active not only in Ukraine but is represented across the world. In all places, it remains subordinate to Rome but retains its Byzantine liturgy.--

            If the UGCC – which is all too often referred to as the Uniates – is recognized for its role in the religious and political life of Ukraine, the larger role it has in the world often is ignored; and that is a mistake because its role beyond the borders of Ukraine has become increasingly important over the last decade.

            Among its most important roles in the former Soviet space is the way its churches are serving as a half-way house between those leaving the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate are joining UGCC parishes in Kazakhstan in hope of eventual Orthodox autocephaly there (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2025/01/uniate-churches-in-kazakhstan-help.html and windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/07/orthodox-in-kazakhstan-seeking.html).

            Moscow is anything but happy about that, but its anger about the UGCC goes much deeper. After Putin illegally seized Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014, Moscow Patriarch Kirill laid the blame for Ukraine’s opposition on the UGCC and its alliance with Orthodox groups in Ukraine committed to autocephaly there (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2015/07/moscow-patriarch-blames-uniatism-not.html).