Shevchuk criticizes “church that seeks to become state-sanctioned”

Shevchuk hinted that the OCU aspires to be a state church. Photo: UGCC Press Service

On July 29, 2025, during a sermon marking the 160th anniversary of the birth of Metropolitan Andriy Sheptytsky, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, criticized religious denominations that, amid war, are fighting over property and striving for the status of a state church.

“This has always happened, throughout history and among all peoples – certain religious institutions were used as a social ladder to obtain a better piece of bread, a better place in society,” Shevchuk said.

He warned that if bishops or priests fight for benefits, privileges, awards, and titles – if they struggle for primacy around the throne, or seek to emulate oligarchs and live for their own pleasure – then Christ says to them: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

“If churches and Christians are waging war over property in Ukraine during wartime, if churches are competing before secular authorities for privileges and honors, trying to become a state church, then today Christ tells the Christians of Ukraine: ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’” Shevchuk stated.

The head of the UGCC did not specify which denomination he had in mind.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to Shevchuk, the UGCC is waiting for Saint Sophia Cathedral to become the cathedral of the united Church.

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