Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA
Pope Francis, in his Angelus address on Sunday, August 25, made a strong appeal relating to the religious situation in Ukraine. The official English translation of his remarks can be read at https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2024/documents/20240825-angelus.html. With respect to Ukraine, he stated:
I continue to follow with sorrow the fighting in Ukraine and the Russian Federation. And in thinking about the laws recently adopted in Ukraine, I fear for the freedom of those who pray, because those who truly pray always pray for all. A person does not commit evil because of praying. If someone commits evil against his people, he will be guilty for it, but he cannot have committed evil because he prayed. So let those who want to pray be allowed to pray in what they consider their Church. Please, let no Christian Church be abolished directly or indirectly. Churches are not to be touched!
On August 23, Draft Law 8371 was signed by Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. On August 24 (which is the Independence Day of Ukraine), President Zelensky signed the Draft Law. These two events are noted on the webpage of the Rada relating to Draft Law 8371. https://itd.rada.gov.ua/billInfo/Bills/Card/41219 The signings by the two were apparently done privately without any ceremony.
Using the above link, the official text of the 8371 in Ukrainian, as signed by Stefanchuk, can be read in its entirety by clicking on the entry “Текст, підписаний Головою Верховної Ради України”.
Within a few hours after the Pope’s remarks, the remarks were posted in Ukrainian on the website of the UOC. https://uoc-news.church/2024/08/25/nexaj-zhodna-xristiyanska-cerkva-ne-bude-skasovana-pryamo-chi-oposeredkovano-papa-francisk-prokomentuvav-prijnyattya-v-ukrajini-zakonoproektu-8371/ On August 24, Patriarch Kirill had sent a letter to world church leaders, including the Pope, and international organizations urging them to “to raise their voices in defense of the persecuted believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.” http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6153461.html However, the Vatican has been concerned about 8371 for many weeks prior to this.
The three-person delegation sent by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Kyiv continues to meet with church leaders concerning the religious situation in Ukraine. On August 23, they met with Major Archbishop Sviatoslav, the primate of the UGCC. https://risu.ua/delegaciya-vselenskoyi-patriarhiyi-vidvidala-glavu-ugkc_n150457 On the same day, they met with Filaret, the head of the Kyiv Patriarchate. https://www.cerkva.info/news/sviatijshyj-patriarkh-filaret-zustrivsia-z-delehatsiieiu-konstantynopolskoho-patriarkhatu/
The delegation met with the Metropolitan Onufry and others of the UOC on August 22, the same day that it met with the OCU. There have been no statements either by the UOC or by the Fanar delegation about the UOC meeting. Personally, I found the following article about the UOC meeting particularly interesting. https://www.religion.in.ua/news/ukrainian_news/51261-gotovnist-na-dialog-ye-vvs-pro-zustrich-delegaciyi-vselenskogo-patriarxa-z-mitropolitom-onufriyem.html This report is cautiously optimistic. In my opinion, the very fact that there was a formal meeting between Metropolitan Onufry and a delegation from the Fanar is progress.
Peter Anderson, Seattle USA
