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.