Ukrainian Orthodox priests are holding a historic synod in Kyiv’s Saint Sophia’s Cathedral to establish a new national church, one that does not have ties to Russia.
The clergy gathering Saturday follows a landmark decision by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodoxy, to remove the Ukrainian Orthodox church from under the Moscow Patriarchate, which has overseen the Ukrainian branch for hundreds of years.
The decision infuriated the Russian church, prompting it to cut all ties with Constantinople.
Relations between Ukraine and Russia have been strained since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, following a …read more
Source: Voice of America
