On 15 July 2026, chaired by His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphaniy, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) met with a delegation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) led by the WCC General Secretary, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay. The meeting took place in the Academic Council Hall of the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy.
The WCC delegation is visiting Kyiv on a solidarity visit and in connection with its participation in the celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of UCCRO.
Members of UCCRO expressed their gratitude to the WCC delegation for visiting Ukraine and supporting the Ukrainian people, as well as for organizing the Global Day of Prayer for Peace in Ukraine, which was held in June 2026. Representatives of Ukrainian churches and religious organizations informed the WCC delegation about the consequences of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, emphasizing the numerous civilian casualties, including children, as well as the widespread destruction of churches and religious buildings.
Special attention was drawn to the recent significant damage inflicted on the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as a result of a Russian attack.
Representatives of UCCRO spoke about cooperation among different faith communities, particularly within the framework of the Council of Churches, in the face of the existential threat posed by Russia’s aggression. They highlighted various aspects of their joint efforts to support society and vulnerable groups in need of assistance.
Members of UCCRO also stressed the weaponization of religion by the Russian Federation and the complicity of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and other Russian religious denominations in the aggression against Ukraine. They stated that the ROC, which is a member of the World Council of Churches, and its leadership bear direct responsibility for initiating and supporting Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the killing of civilians, including children and women, and the destruction of Ukrainian cities and religious sites.
Despite all these trials, the Ukrainian people remain resilient and continue their struggle for the freedom and independence of their country. Representatives of UCCRO called on the WCC to continue supporting Ukraine, to disseminate truthful information about Russia’s aggression, and to pray for a just peace for Ukraine. They also thanked the World Council of Churches for its consistent position and statements in support of Ukraine.
During the meeting, members of UCCRO responded to questions from the WCC delegation regarding the implementation of the Law of Ukraine “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Activities of Religious Organizations,” emphasizing that the Ukrainian state respects the right to freedom of religion during martial law and adheres to international standards in this field.
In addition, UCCRO members appealed to the WCC delegation, in the context of supporting Ukraine, to admit the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to membership in the WCC. Such a step would ensure a permanent Ukrainian voice within the international ecumenical community.
The following representatives of the World Council of Churches participated in the meeting with UCCRO: Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary; Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Moderator of the WCC Central Committee; Marianne Ejdersten, WCC Director of Communication; Rev. Karin van den Broeke, member of the WCC Central and Executive Committees; His Eminence Metropolitan Gabriel of Nea Ionia and Philadelphia of the Church of Greece, member of the WCC Central Committee; and Rev. Frank-Dieter Fischbach, General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC).
Representing UCCRO at the meeting were: Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Chair of UCCRO; Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Roman Prodaniuk, President of the Ukrainian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; Bishop Oleksandr Yazlovetskyi of the Roman Catholic Church; Bishop Pavlo Shvarts of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine; as well as representatives of the All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christian Baptists, the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church, the Ukrainian Union Conference of Armenian Apostolic Churches, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Ukraine, the Association of Jewish Religious Organizations of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Bible Society, and the Institute for Religious Freedom.
Photo: Andriy Sydor