Eastern Orthodoxy

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.

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

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.

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.

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios said on Tuesday he would work with Lithuanian authorities to establish a new branch in the Baltic nation to ensure that believers are no longer under the sole supervision of Moscow.

The head of Cyprus' Orthodox Church Archbishop Georgios formally assumed his new duties Sunday following an enthronement ceremony evoking the splendor of centuries of Byzantine tradition before an audience of clergy from around the world with the notable exception of the Russian church.

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Ukraine celebrates Christmas, the shelling does not stop

Ukraine celebrates Christmas, the first since the beginning of the war.

From the imposing monastery of Megiste Lavra to the Russian monastery, Mount Athos is a deeply mystifying place.

Iraqi actress Enas Taleb said she is suing British magazine The Economist for using a photo of her to illustrate a controversial article on obesity among Arab women.

The article, headlined "Why Women Are Fatter Than Men in the Arab World", was published last month with a picture of Taleb performing at Iraq's Babylon International Festival.

By George Gilson

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, the top-ranking bishop of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians, has unleashed scathing criticism of Moscow Patriarch Kirill over the latter's decision to lend the Russian Church's full support to Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine, with countless civilian deaths and brutal murders.