ROME, JULY 4, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Catholic-Orthodox relations will change for the better in Ukraine, says Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, who contends that the rigidity of the Orthodox hierarchy does not reflect the thinking of its faithful.
The major archbishop of Lviv made his comments during an address to Catholic politicians of the center-left, who gathered last weekend in the Italian monastery of Camaldoli. The event was organized by Il Regno, the magazine of Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It came a few days after John Paul II completed his historic trip to Ukraine.
Cardinal Husar described Ukraine's new generations as "men of [a] wounded soul," because they are ideologically tainted by the Bolshevik years.
He spoke about the complementary nature of Eastern and Western spirituality, and said that Ukraine and its Church must become a bridge between East and West. He added that the future of Christianity in his country lies in ecumenism.
Cardinal Husar met with European Commission President Romano Prodi, and appealed to the European Union to pay more attention to Ukraine. Prodi promised the commission's support for the country's economic and cultural development.
Zenit - The World Seen From Rome
4. juli 2001