The Union of Brest (1596) & the Ukrainian Catholic Church

In 1596, bishops and priests from the Orthodox Church in what is today Ukraine entered into communion with the bishop of Rome. This union, proclaimed at the city of Brest, became the foundation of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, whose liturgy and spiritual heritage derive from Byzantium rather than Rome. The Ukrainian Catholic Church is largest Eastern Church in communion with Rome, and plays a vital role in the history of Ukraine. In this episode, we discuss how the Union of Brest both created a local church communion with Rome but also divided the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, and we consider this legacy of the Union of Brest and how it relates to the current war in Ukraine.