Protesters arrested outside FSB headquarters in Moscow:
By RFE/RL's Russian Service
MOSCOW -- Russian police have arrested seven people protesting outside the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow, according to OVD-Info, an independent group that monitors crackdowns on demonstrations.
Several dozen protesters had gathered outside the Lublyanka building on December 16 for an unauthorized demonstration against what they said were abuses committed by the security forces and the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Some of the demonstrators denounced the jailing of Lev Ponomaryov, a 77-year-old human rights activist who is serving a 16-day term in detention -- in part for a Facebook post about a protest.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow police.
Russia seized Ukraine's Crimea region in March 2014 and supports separatists battling Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014.
Russia denies interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs, despite compelling evidence that Moscow has provided military, economic, and political support to the separatists fighting against Kyiv.
Ukrainian Orthodox cleric Epifaniy led a Sunday Mass at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv on December 16. The service was Epifaniy's first after a December 15 church council selected him as the leader of the new unified Orthodox Church of Ukraine, independent from the Russian Orthodox Church.
Metropolitan Epifaniy, the newly elected head of the united autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine, speaking on December 16 to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service outside a church at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv after leading his first Sunday Mass as new church head:
"We need to complete full-fledged unification. That is, when we receive the 'tomos' [a decree confirming the church's independence, which the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is expected to receive from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on January 6, 2019], we will establish all the responsible managing institutions of this church."
"In the future, we will implement reforms, but [we will do so] in a calm, wise, and balanced way, because it is needed to work in a way that unites rather than divides. After all, if we speak about celebrating Christ's Nativity [Christmas], about the [church] calendar, we do understand that if we -- for example -- change [the date of Christmas] from January 7 to [December] 25, the Ukrainian people will not accept that. It needs to explain and to bring evidence. When the people understand that this is not a dogma, that it is simply a date, then it will be possible to act and take some decisions."
"We have the occupied Crimea. We need to get it back. There [also] is the partially occupied Donbas. We believe that the Lord [God] will hear our prayers and will send us that long-awaited peace, a just peace in a united Ukrainian state in which we will have our united Ukrainian Orthodox church."
On the clerics who have not joined the unification of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine:
"I think that they will gradually reach the understanding that there is no other outcome than being part of this united Ukrainian church and building our future together."
New Ukrainian Orthodox leader gives first liturgy, urging unity:
By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
KYIV -- In his first liturgy as leader of the new Ukrainian national Orthodox church, Metropolitan Epifaniy has urged Ukrainians to unite and pray for peace in the country.
"We must complete the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy...pray for an end to the war [in eastern Ukraine], and for a just peace in Ukraine," Epifaniy said as he led a Sunday Mass at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv on December 16.
Ukrainian Orthodox leaders on December 15 agreed on the creation of a new national Orthodox Church and elected the 39-year-old Epifaniy to head that church.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople is expected to hand over a "tomos" -- a decree granting autocephaly, or independence -- to Epifaniy on January 6.
Ukraine's leaders said the move was vital to the country's security and independence, but it could raise tensions further with Moscow, which has opposed Kyiv's efforts to secure an independent church.
After leading the Sunday Mass at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, Metropolitan Epifaniy told RFE/RL that the Ukrainian church needed to "complete full-fledged unification."
"That is, when we receive the tomos, we will establish all the responsible managing institutions of this church," he said.
In the future, the cleric added, the church will implement reforms "in a calm, wise, and balanced way, because it is needed to work in a way that unites rather than divides."
Epifaniy also voiced confidence that the clerics who have not joined the Ukrainian national Orthodox Church will "gradually reach the understanding that there is no other outcome than being part of this united Ukrainian church and building our future together."
Relations between Russia and Ukraine have deteriorated dramatically since Moscow’s seizure of Crimea in March 2014 and its subsequent support for separatists battling Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine. The conflict there has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014.
"We have the occupied Crimea. We need to get it back. There [also] is the partially occupied Donbas. We believe that the Lord will hear our prayers and will send us that long-awaited peace, a just peace in a united Ukrainian state in which we will have our united Ukrainian Orthodox Church," Epifaniy told RFE/RL. (w/AP)