The leader of Ukraine’s Catholics has expressed disappointment at the historic declaration signed between Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev-Halych, major archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, welcomed the first meeting between a Pope and Russian Orthodox leader in a thousand years, saying it “opens new perspectives for cooperation”. One positive, he said, was that the Russian Orthodox Church “no longer seems to object to our right to exist”. But, he said, the text issued by the Church leaders “has caused deep disappointment among many faithful of our Church and among conscientious citizens of Ukraine”. “Today, many contacted me about this and said that they feel betrayed by the Vatican, disappointed by the half-truth nature of this document, and even see it as indirect support by the Apostolic See for Russian aggression against Ukraine.” Speaking of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, which drew up the declaration, Archbishop Shevchuk said it was “hard to imagine a weaker team” and they had been “exploited” during the drafting process by the Russian Orthodox side. Pope Francis, asked about the archbishop’s criticism during his in-flight press conference on the way home from Mexico, said: “When I read this, I was worried.” He explained that he had known and respected Archbishop Shevchuk for years. His right to express his opinion, the Pope said, must be respected, “especially in this situation”.