Worshippers gathered at Ukraine’s most historically significant monastery on Saturday to celebrate Orthodox Christmas in much the same way that they have for centuries.
Clergy dressed in silver robes chanted as they made their way through the ornate hall while families prayed alongside one another. Periodically, the congregation broke out in carols that echoed off the golden walls.
The Mass, delivered by the leader of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius, was celebrated as a unilateral 36-hour cease-fire declared by Russia — and never agreed to by Ukraine — failed to materialize over the Orthodox Christmas period. At least three civilians were killed in attacks on Friday, according to the Ukrainian government, and several more were wounded.
Patriarch Kirill, head of the church in Moscow and a strong supporter of Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, had earlier suggested a cease-fire for the Christmas holiday. On Saturday, he led a Christmas sermon in Moscow and issued a televised message to the members of the faith, offering prayers for those killed in the fighting.
“For Ukraine, there is more air defense, more armored vehicles, for the first time — Western tanks, more guns and rounds, more energy and political opportunities,” he said. “And all this means more protection for Ukrainians and all Europeans from any manifestations of Russian terror.”
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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