Christian denominational families

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is moving to a new calendar with a decision of the Synod, Ukrinform reported, citing BBC Ukraine.

"The Orthodox Church of Ukraine - the most popular religious organization in the country, has approved the complete transition to the new calendar," an official announcement states.

Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, an historic reform that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church.

Orthodox Easter messages delivered by two senior clerics in North Macedonia and Serbia have sparked criticism, with Metropolitan Petar of the Prespa-Pelagonija eparchy of the Macedonian Orthodox Church causing particular outrage with his suggestion that gender equality is "blasphemous" and a "poisonous and perverted ideology" that threatens society.

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios fulfilled a 10-year promise to mark Easter on the Turkish island of Imvros (Gokceada) where he was born.

In candle-lit masses held over three days, Vartholomaios presided over services that brought together Orthodox Christian believers from the island and abroad.

Day 417 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

Israeli police will curb the number of worshippers in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem for safety reasons during Orthodox Easter ceremonies on Saturday, drawing anger from church leaders who said they would not cooperate.

Easter has arrived for Catholics. In his homily on the resurrection of Christ, Pope Francis called for an end to all wars.

Zakharova, commenting on Kyiv's plans to expel the clergy from the Pochayev Lavra, called it "a new stage in the religious war".
"The new phase of the religious war in Ukraine initiated by the Kyiv regime will, of course, not lead to anything good. The consequences will be tragic," she said at a briefing on Thursday.

The spiritual head of the world's Orthodox Christians said on Wednesday that Russia's powerful Orthodox Church shared responsibility for the conflict in Ukraine but that he stood ready to help in Russia's postwar "spiritual regeneration".

In what is seen as a blow to Moscow, Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios stated on Tuesday that he will cooperate with Lithuanian authorities to establish a new branch in the Baltic country to ensure that people of faith are no longer only under the supervision of the Russian church.