Greek Orthodox Church of Ukraine and its Connection to the Pope
The Greek Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in Ukraine. It was established on December 15, 2018, by the unification of two previously independent churches: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC). The OCU is the largest Orthodox church in Ukraine, with over 12 million members. The OCU has no formal connection to the Pope, who is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. However, the two churches have engaged in dialogue in recent years. In 2019, Pope Francis met with Epiphanius I, the head of the OCU, and the two leaders signed a joint declaration in which they pledged to work together to promote peace and unity between Christians. The OCU has been a strong supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia. In February 2022, Epiphanius I called on the international community to support Ukraine and to impose sanctions on Russia. He also condemned the Russian Orthodox...