Pope will persuade Zelensky not to repress the UOC - religious scholar

Ludmyla Filipovych, a well-known lobbyist of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the media, Doctor of Philosophy, professor at the Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, told what exactly Zelensky and Pope Francis will talk about during their upcoming meeting. Filipovych is sure that the Pontiff will ask Zelensky “not to touch the Ukrainian Orthodox Church”. About this she said in a commentary to the Voice of America publication.

“The Pope will want President Zelensky to adhere to the guarantees that are given to various religious organizations in Ukraine, and will ask that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which maintains ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, not be touched ‘because it seems to be of God and has 5 million followers and about 9 thousand parishes,’” – Filipovych said.

Filipovych also believes that Zelensky will ask Francis to grant “patriarchate” status for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

“It is expected that the Ukrainian President will ask for a patriarchate for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and in general will support the UGCC, which was in favor of the adoption of the law banning the Russian Orthodox Church,” – added the religious scholar.

We will remind, on August 25, 2024 Pope Francis made an address in which he mentioned the law № 8371 adopted in the Ukrainian Parliament, aimed at banning the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Pope emphasized that no church in the world should be banned, as it performs prayer directed against evil and unrighteousness. In his turn, Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained such a reaction of the Pontiff by “Russian influence”.