Kiev, Dec. 21 (CWNews.com) - The Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church has renewed his call for the reunion of the Catholic and Orthodox churches in Ukraine.

"This is not a fantasy," insisted Cardinal Lubomyr Husar. "It is a goal that we can achieve."

Cardinal Husar, who heads the largest Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See, has called in the past for the establishment of a single Ukrainian patriarchate, combining the Catholic and Orthodox churches. His call for a restoration of Christian unity has met with a stony silence from those Ukrainian Orthodox bishops who are in communion with the Patriarchate of Moscow.

The Ukrainian Orthodox community is severely split, with three different hierarchical bodies competing for the support of the faithful. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church- Moscow Patriarchate has consistently protested the activity of Eastern-rite Catholics. The independent Kiev Patriarchate, on the other hand, has shown a greater willingness to cooperate with the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Cardinal Husar, who recently transferred his headquarters from Lviv to Kiev, said that his move to the nation's capital was motivated in large part by the desire to establish a single nationwide patriarchate that could embrace all Ukrainian Christians. The Moscow Patriarchate angrily denounced the Catholic move into Kiev.

Despite the enduring hostility of some Orthodox leaders, Cardinal Husar says that he will not be deflected from his quest for Church unity. "The churches have not been established by officials, but by Jesus Christ," he told the Interfax news service. "We as Christians should unite, and it is our tragedy that we are still separated."