After the Vatican's statement on allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), His Beatitude Metropolitan Sviatoslav expressed the position of the UGCC on this issue.
Metropolitan Sviatoslav stated that same-sex couples will not be blessed in the UGCC, pointing out that the Fiducia Supplicans declaration adopted by Pope Francis has no legal force for the faithful of the UGCC. It is noted that this declaration refers to the Latin and not the Eastern Catholic Church.
"The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is one of the Eastern Catholic churches, therefore it has its own liturgical, theological, canonical and spiritual heritage, which all the faithful are obliged to observe," he explained.
Metropolitan Sviatoslav urged to avoid "ambiguous gestures, expressions and concepts" that can expose or distort God's word and the teachings of the church. The position of the UGCC is determined not only by canonical requirements, but also by the preservation of the traditions of the Eastern Catholic Church.
It is important to note that the UGCC, although subordinate to the Vatican, adheres mainly to the Eastern rite, which makes it unique among Catholic churches.
