On the holiest day in its religious calendar, the Russian Orthodox Church was struggling under the weight of its own contradictions. Although no bishop has yet indicated a desire to split with the Russian Orthodox Church, Father Kobetiak said the clergy and the faithful in Ukraine sought “spiritual independence”, mentioning how one priest is now serving “a half-ruined cathedral without …
The Russian Orthodox parish in Amsterdam announced Saturday it will no longer function within the Moscow Patriarchate and has asked the archbishop of the diocese of The Hague and the Netherlands to grant canonical dismissal. The parish’s four priests and deacon unanimously decided it was no longer possible to “provide a spiritually safe climate” for their congregants within the Moscow …
MINSK, Belarus — The Russian Orthodox Church on Friday called on the United Nations, the leaders of Germany and France, the pope and other spiritual leaders to protect believers in Ukraine in the face of pressure on Moscow-affiliated clerics. Ukraine’s Orthodox clerics will gather for a meeting Saturday that is expected to form a new, independent Ukrainian church, and Ukrainian …
