Orthodox Mark Christmas, but the Celebration Is Overshadowed for Many by Conflict
Orthodox Christians packed churches Saturday night for Christmas Eve services during ongoing conflicts including the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars.
Ukraine Celebrates Christmas on Dec. 25 for the First Time, Distancing Itself From Russia
The change, enacted in legislation signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July, reflects both Ukrainians' dismay with the 22-month-old Russian invasion and their assertion of a national identity.
As Turkey’s Christians Celebrate a New Church, Religious Minorities Still Call for Respect
Though he has allowed new houses of worship to be built and old ones to be reopened, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan needs to do more, observers say, to restore respect for a truly pluralistic society as much as for church property.
Archbishop Welby, Patriarchs of Jerusalem Urge Ceasefire, Condemn Church Bombing
Archbishop Welby spent several days in Jerusalem last week following the attack on Israelis by Hamas on Oct. 7 and the ensuing assaults on Gaza by Israeli forces.
Ukrainian Parliament Moves to Bar Russian-Linked Church From Operating in the Country
Draft law 8371, which requires another vote before moving to the president’s desk, would give Ukrainian authorities power to examine the connection of religious groups in Ukraine to the Russian Federation and to ban those whose leadership is outside of Ukraine.
Catholics in Ukraine Struggle as Pope Francis’ Approval Rating Is at an All-Time Low
Pope Francis and Ukraine have a different vision for peace in the region.
Ukraine Moves Official Christmas Day Holiday to Dec. 25, Denouncing Russian-Imposed Traditions
The explanatory note attached to the law said its goal is to “abandon the Russian heritage,” including that of “imposing the celebration of Christmas” on Jan. 7.
After Calendar Change, Many in Ukraine Are Looking Forward to a New Christmas
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine has further cemented its split from the Russian counterpart it used to be a part of by adopting a new liturgical calendar.
Ukrainian Court Puts an Orthodox Leader Under House Arrest
Ukraine's top security agency said Metropolitan Pavel, the abbott of a famed Orthodox monastery, was suspected of justifying Russian aggression, a criminal offense. It was the latest move in a bitter dispute over .
Priesthood, Politics and Propaganda: One Clergyman’s Life in War-Torn Ukraine
For many Ukrainian Orthodox Christians, and clergy in particular, the question of religious identity in relationship to the Russian Orthodox Church is both personal and political. What is a chaplain’s answer to men and women who have chosen to defend a country under siege since