Pontiff Praises Freedom in Ukraine

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 30, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI thanked the president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, for inviting him to visit the nation which he called "a gateway between East and West."

The Pope expressed his gratitude, though did not confirm a visit, in a ceremony today in which he received the credentials for the new Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See, Tetiana Izhevska.

In his speech in French, the Holy Father recalled that the nation has maintained diplomatic relations with the Holy See for 15 years, and mentioned the "pastoral visit by my predecessor, Pope John Paul II, in 2001."

Benedict XVI hailed "the good relations that exist between the government authorities and the Churches and ecclesial communities in Ukraine."

He pointed out that "In your nation, the faithful are blessed with religious freedom, which is an essential dimension of a human being's freedom and therefore a fundamental expression of their dignity."

Due to a "a just distinction between the responsibilities of the religious and civil spheres," the Pope said, "the state recognizes different forms of worship ... ensuring them equal rights before the law and thus allowing each ... to play its specific role for the common good of the nation."

Of the 47 million inhabitants of Ukraine, fewer than 10% are Catholic, mostly of the Eastern and Latin rites. The majority of the population is Orthodox.