A delegation from the World Council of Churches visited Kyiv to meet with representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations

On October 26, 2026, a landmark meeting took place at the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy of the OCU between a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations). The visit was aimed at strengthening international dialogue, discussing the activities of Ukrainian religious communities amid the war, and reviewing the OCU’s application for membership in the WCC.

The international delegation included high-ranking representatives of various denominations, including Dr. Susan Derber, the WCC’s President for Europe, as well as representatives of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Church of Norway, and the Orthodox Church of Finland. The delegation members “expressed deep respect for Ukrainian religious organizations, highlighting their important role in supporting society and serving the people during a full-scale war.”

Epiphany Dumenko, head of the OCCRO and chairman of the OCU, thanked the guests for their visit and spoke about the council’s 30-year history, emphasizing the importance of interfaith cooperation. During the meeting, the parties exchanged experiences, discussed prospects for further partnership, and briefed the WCC delegation on the current state of interreligious relations in Ukraine.

It should be noted that at the World Council of Churches meeting held in Johannesburg (South Africa) from June 18 to 24, the reviewed the situation regarding the church conflict in Ukraine. In particular, at the initiative of the Russian Orthodox Church delegation, information was conveyed to the general public regarding a recent attempt to seize the Holy Spirit Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Chernivtsi, where priests and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were beaten by supporters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.