Pope Leo grants OCU access to relics of St. Nicholas
Clerics of the OCU held a “liturgy” in the papal Basilica of St. Nicholas.
On May 25, 2025, OCU cleric B. Huliamov conducted a “liturgy” in the papal Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari. This was announced on Facebook by Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican, Andriy Yurash.
“With this, the Ukrainian Church has demonstrated consistency and a systematic strategic commitment to further deepen cooperation with the major centers of global Christianity,” Yurash wrote, recalling that former Pope Francis had already granted the OCU permission to “serve” at the relics of St. Nicholas.
“Thus, this new pilgrimage and prayer by Ukrainian Orthodox at the relics of the Saint represents another important step in the development of established cooperation,” the ambassador emphasized.
As a reminder, in December 2024, the head of the OCU also held a “liturgy” in the basilica at the relics of St. Nicholas.
