Last Update: January 07, 2023, 00:03 IST
In 2019, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine received recognition from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (File image: Reuters)
The move comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine escalates long-running tensions between the two churches.
The Ukrainian government has taken the main cathedral of the prestigious historic monastery from a church affiliated with Moscow’s patriarchate and allowed its Ukrainian rival to use it for Orthodox Christmas services.
The move comes amid long-running tensions between the two churches amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said on Thursday that the nearly 1,000-year-old Pechersk Lavra’s Dormition Cathedral and Refectory Church in the Ukrainian capital have been taken over after being leased by the state. They were organized by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and ended on 31 December.
Tkachenko said on Friday that the Orthodox Church of ukraine (OCU) – a similarly named rival church – asked for and was given permission to hold a service in the cathedral on the Saturday Orthodox Christmas is celebrated.
In 2019, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine received recognition from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Moscow and most other Orthodox patriarchs refused to accept the designation which formalized the split with the Russian Church.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which had been loyal to the Moscow Patriarchate since the 17th century, declared independence from the Patriarchate of Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The UOC gave Moscow a controversial cold shoulder by downplaying the memory of Moscow Patriarch Kirill as its leader in public worship and blessing its own holy oil instead of using Moscow’s supplies.
But Ukraine’s security agencies claim it has maintained close ties with Moscow. They have carried out several raids on church holy sites, posting photographs of rubles, Russian passports and leaflets with messages from the Patriarch of Moscow.
Prominent Ukrainian Orthodox Church leaders have rejected accusations of ties to Moscow, insisting they have supported Ukraine since the start of the war and that the government’s actions would only be a propaganda coup for Russia.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)