INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russias spiritual leader, Patriarch Kirill, on Thursday called for a ceasefire in Ukraine over Orthodox Christmas, which is generally
celebrated this week by both countries.The 76-year-old Orthodox Church leader is a strong advocate of President Vladimir Putin and his
invasion of Ukraine who has actually offered his blessing to Russian soldiers battling in the war and provided greatly anti-Western and
anti-Kyiv preachings throughout the dispute
I, Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and of all Rus, attract all celebrations involved in the internecine conflict with a call to stop fire and
develop a Christmas truce from 12:00 on January 6 to 00:00 on January 7 so that Orthodox individuals can go to services on Christmas Eve and
on the day of the Nativity of Christ, he said on the churchs official website.The Russian Orthodox Church has actually lost considerable
impact in Ukraine considering that Moscows annexation of Crimea and fighting in eastern Ukraine in 2014, with some Ukrainians supposedly
choosing to commemorate the first Christmas considering that the war started according to the Gregorian calendar instead of the Julian
calendar still used by the Russian Orthodox Church.In 2019, part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church broke ties with Moscow-- which has
actually had spiritual supremacy in much of Ukraine for centuries-- in a historical schism.The Kremlins choice to send out troops into
Ukraine in February 2022 resulted in numerous formally devoted clerics turning away from Moscow
In May, the Moscow-backed branch of Ukraines Orthodox Church severed ties with Russia, mentioning Patriarch Kirills absence of condemnation
of the fighting.Patriarch Kirill has actually been approved by Britain and Canada for his outspoken support of Putins Ukraine intrusion.
