Hundreds of worshippers have attended the Orthodox Christmas service at a famed cathedral in Kyiv, hearing it in the Ukrainian language for the first time in decades, as a demonstration of independence from the Russian Church.
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The cathedral -- part of the complex known as the Monastery of the Caves and a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- put up a video screen outside for the overflow of worshippers, despite the frigid temperatures of -10 Celsius.
Ukraine's government on Thursday took over the administration of the Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv-Pechersk monastery and allowed the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to use it for the Christmas service.
The move highlights the long-running tensions between the two churches exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine.
The cathedral had been under the control of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which formerly had ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, but had declared its independence after the war started more than 10 months ago.
Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said Thursday that the cathedral had been taken over by the state after the lease of the Moscow-controlled church expired on December 31. Tkachenko attended the service on Saturday.
"It's an amazing moment. Previously this place -- on Ukrainian territory, within Kyiv -- has been linked to Moscow. Now we feel this is ours, this is Ukrainian. This is part of the Ukrainian nation," said Alex Fesiak, who attended the service.
The Metropolitan Epiphanius, the primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, spoke not just about Christmas but delivered a political message about the war.
"As a nation, we sought to live peacefully, having a good understanding with all our neighbours. But the enemy meanly and treacherously broke the peace and invaded our land, shedding blood, sowing death and wanting to destroy our statehood and our very Ukrainian identity," he said.
"The devil's malice and envy prompted them to make war, but they are sure to be defeated. After all, the truth is on our side."
On Friday, the Church of Moscow Patriarchate condemned the Ukrainian plans to hold a service in the Kyiv cathedral as "an attempt to forcefully seize ... the cathedral by means of blackmail and misinformation of society."
Ukrainian security agencies have claimed that some in the Ukrainian church have maintained close ties with Moscow. They've raided numerous holy sites of the church and later posted photos of rubles, Russian passports and leaflets with messages from the Moscow patriarch as proof that some church officials have been loyal to Moscow.
Prominent Ukrainian Orthodox Church leaders have rejected the allegations, insisting that they have loyally supported Ukraine from the start of the war and that a government crackdown will only hand a propaganda coup to Russia.
Australian Associated Press
