KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Moscow-affiliated church said believers could gather outside places of worship despite a government ban on public gatherings, while the independent church called it a ‘Christian duty’ to stay home.
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The synod of the world's largest Eastern church requires some delicate diplomacy for a pontificate that has made numerous efforts to strengthen relations with Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church.
(AP) — Putin said the push for the new church was rooted in “the struggle for power” and provoked “animosity and intolerance.”
ATHENS, Greece (RNS) — Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew's decision to recognize an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church has led to fears of a schism among Orthodox Christians.
(AP) — Ukraine’s president on Saturday signed a bill that orders the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to change its name to reflect its ties to Moscow.
(RNS) — The political significance of the decision was immediately clear. 'The (Russian) empire is losing one of the last levers of influence on its former colony,' Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian Orthodox Church warned Friday that it would sever ties with the leader of the worldwide Orthodox community if he grants autonomy to Ukraine's Orthodox Church.
(RNS) The protests that toppled Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych also a galvanized a religious awakening and may lead to a seismic shift in church-state relations.
