Ukrainian customs seize Patriarch Kirill’s Nativity epistle

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russian

"Sources in Ukraine have said that the local customs authorities seized copies of Patriarch Kirill's Christmas greeting earlier sent from Russia to be read out as per tradition during the holiday service on January 7," Vladimir Legoyda, the head of the Synodal Department for Church, Society and Media Relations, said on Telegram.

According to established tradition, the message is to be read at the festive Divine services on January 7 for the feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, but the employees of the state border service confiscated the copies of the message, citing non-compliance with certain formalities.

As Legoyda notes, the message can still be read in churches: “The times are not the same: It can be read with a smartphone. Let the attentive staff of the Ukrainian customs prepare for a new star on their epaulettes, since that’s more important to them than the star of Bethlehem.”

On December 24, 2018, Vladimir Legoyda said that the Russian Orthodox Church was ready for dialogue with the Phanar but would not give up the Truth.

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