Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil raised concerns about religious discrimination in Ukraine during a meeting with American Ambassador Kenneth Merten. The Patriarch highlighted the significant factual and legal constraints imposed on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, attributing these issues to discriminatory policies by certain elements within Ukraine.

The Monastery of the Caves, also known as Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of the holiest sites of Eastern Orthodox Christians, in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, March 23, 2023.

Ukraine's parliament voted Tuesday to ban the Russian-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), a move Kiev says strengthens its independence as the country severs ties with institutions it considers aligned with Moscow.

The Bulgarian Patriarch has joined an initiative by church leaders who support the Moscow Patriarchate's stance on the non-recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). Alongside Patriarch Daniil, the Antiochian Patriarch John and Georgian Patriarch Ilia also participated.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has enacted a law banning religious organizations affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church, effectively mandating that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) cease all activities within the country.

Many Ukrainians will on Monday celebrate Christmas Day on Dec. 25 for the first time, after the government changed the date from the Orthodox Church observance of Jan. 7 in a snub to Russia.

Ukraine passed a law in July moving the celebration to Dec. 25, the day when most of the Christian world marks Christmas.

Day 417 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

Zakharova, commenting on Kyiv's plans to expel the clergy from the Pochayev Lavra, called it "a new stage in the religious war".
"The new phase of the religious war in Ukraine initiated by the Kyiv regime will, of course, not lead to anything good. The consequences will be tragic," she said at a briefing on Thursday.

The head of Cyprus' Orthodox Church Archbishop Georgios formally assumed his new duties Sunday following an enthronement ceremony evoking the splendor of centuries of Byzantine tradition before an audience of clergy from around the world with the notable exception of the Russian church.

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Ukraine celebrates Christmas, the shelling does not stop

Ukraine celebrates Christmas, the first since the beginning of the war.

A new dispute has occurred between the Russian and Ukrainian patriarchs in the southern province of Antalya as the citizens of both countries living in the city do not want to share the same churches.

Antalya, which hosts many migrants from both countries fleeing the Russia-Ukraine war, has also become one of the meeting areas of divisions within the Orthodox church.