Patriarch Bartholomew Discussed the "Russian World" with the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church at the Vatican

On Saturday, October 24, 2026, a landmark meeting took place at the Vatican between Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. According to the Orthodox Times, during the talks, the parties discussed “issues of spiritual support for Ukraine and challenges related to the ongoing military conflict.”

The central theme of the conversation was the condemnation of the “Russian World” ideology, which the head of the UGCC called “a threat to Christians of all denominations.” Shevchuk expressed his gratitude to Patriarch Bartholomew for his consistent stance in opposing this doctrine, emphasizing that “the distortion of the concepts of patriotism and attempts to portray war as a sacred mission undermine the foundations of interchurch dialogue.”

In addition, Sviatoslav Shevchuk announced a visit by the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations to the Phanar in December of this year “to strengthen interfaith cooperation.”

As a reminder, earlier, Igor Rantsya, the UGCC hierarch for France, the Benelux countries, and Switzerland, emphasized the need to establish contacts with communities of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Western Europe. The UGCC representative called such a dialogue an inevitable and spiritually justified process.