Ukrainian Orthodox patriarch condemns Russian war crimes at Christmas service in reclaimed church

The patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) Epifaniy I condemned war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine as he led a Christmas service in a historic Kyiv cathedral reclaimed by Ukraine’s government.

Believers gathered in the crowded Uspenskiy Cathedral in the Pechersk Lavra complex, which until the end of 2022 was leased by an Orthodox branch with ties to Moscow.

“Help us to defeat the enemy, who brought grief into our home. Help us to finally drive out the foreign invasion from Ukrainian land,” Epifaniy I told his followers.

The Ukrainian Orthox Church (UOC), formerly known as the Moscow Patriarchate, was evicted by the Ukranian government when their lease of the shrine ended on Dec. 31. Ukrainian’s Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko announced the handover of the cathedral to the Kyiv-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine on Thursday.

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