UGCC bishop says dialogue with Russian Orthodox Church is inevitable

UGCC Bishop Ihor Rantsia. Photo: UGCC

UGCC Bishop Ihor Rantsia of France and the Benelux countries said dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church is inevitable, describing justice as the essential condition for sincere dialogue.

According to the Uniate bishop, dialogue with Russian Orthodox communities in Europe is inevitable and has a profound spiritual foundation because the divine nature is inherently dialogical.

“When we break off dialogue, we isolate ourselves and die. Therefore, dialogue has a deeply spiritual foundation, and this is how it should be viewed. We need to begin building ties, perhaps informal ones, and remain in contact,” he said.

At the same time, the UGCC representative said there is an essential condition for building meaningful relations.“There is one indispensable condition for this dialogue – justice. Without justice, it is impossible to have a sincere dialogue with Russians and the Russian Orthodox Church.”

The bishop also noted that the Russian Orthodox Church does not recognize the UGCC and that there is therefore still work to be done. In his view, however, the UGCC should consider the idea of dialogue and develop it into a full-fledged initiative.

As the UOJ reported, the head of the UGCC compared the Vatican secretary’s visit to Moscow to a descent into hell.

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