A journalist asked a church official to comment on the statement made by the Pope that Ukrainians and Russians are supposedly "cousins", meaning they are second cousins.
"He is fulfilling his mission as a shepherd who sees all the peoples of the world as brothers. In fact, he once issued an encyclical titled 'All Brothers.' It is clear that such statements are not political in nature. We would feel more comfortable if we were referred to as neighbors rather than brothers, as this brotherhood, especially in their words, carries a genocidal connotation regarding Ukrainians," said Sviatoslav.
The head of the UGCC also commented on the notion that there is supposedly a "serious Russian lobby" in the Vatican.
"I listen very carefully to all our religious scholars, but many of them draw conclusions or make assessments based on the information they receive. Many of them do not know the Vatican and have never personally seen the Pope. Therefore, I would be very cautious with such evaluative judgments," Sviatoslav emphasized.
He compared the Vatican to a "religious UN, where opinions, positions, requests, and aspirations from all, including from Russia, converge."
"The Vatican is a subject of international law, where all nations and countries have their ambassadors and diplomatic representations. Thus, it is a very interesting platform for dialogue, even a certain level of confrontation and struggle. And we are obviously also fighting for our position and presenting it properly. Therefore, I would not want to speak about any Russian lobby, but definitely about a Ukrainian one. I believe that both the Ukrainian state and our diplomatic representatives, as well as religious figures from various denominations, are clearly advocating for our interests, both ecclesiastical and national, on this platform," explained the head of the UGCC.
In July 2023 Francis referred to the Russian authorities as his "brothers".