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Russia’s Orthodox Patriarch, marking Christmas, says West trying to smother Russia

Reuters The Patriarch of Russia’s Orthodox Church, celebrating Christmas alongside Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, said on Tuesday that the Western world despised Russia and its “alternative path of civilised development”. Orthodox Christians in Russia celebrate Christmas on 7th January, according to the Julian calendar. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends the Orthodox Christmas liturgy at the […]

Four-fifths of Ukrainians support ban of Russia-linked church in poll

Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Four-fifths of Ukrainians said they supported a new law banning Russia-affiliated religious groups in a survey released on Tuesday, as Kyiv seeks to root out a branch of the Orthodox Church accused of cooperating with Moscow, which is waging war on Ukraine. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which counted six per cent […]

Kremlin calls Ukrainian ban on branch of Orthodox Church an attack on freedom of religion

Moscow, Russia Reuters Russia on Tuesday condemned a move by Ukraine to ban a Moscow-linked branch of the Orthodox Church, describing it as an attack on Christianity and a blow to freedom of religion. Ukrainian lawmakers voted last week to ban the Russia-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which Kyiv has accused of abetting Moscow’s 30-month-old […]

Pope Francis condemns Ukraine’s ban on Russian Orthodox Church

Vatican City RNS Following the Angelus, his weekly prayer service at the Vatican, on Sunday, Pope Francis criticised Ukraine’s decision to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has historically been tied to Russia, saying that Christians should be allowed to pray freely and that churches should not be abolished. “In thinking about the laws recently […]

Ukraine adopts “historic” law to ban Russia-linked minority church

Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters Ukrainian lawmakers on Tuesday passed a law envisaging a ban on the activities of a Russia-linked branch of the Orthodox church, paving the way for a historic rupture with an institution that Kyiv has accused of complicity in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. A majority of Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians but the faith […]

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy suggests moves towards banning Orthodox church with Moscow ties

Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pledged on Saturday to “strengthen our Ukrainian spiritual independence”, suggesting that the country’s leadership was moving towards effectively banning the branch of the Orthodox Church that has links to Moscow. A majority of Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians, but the faith is split into one branch with traditional links to the […]