Russian Orthodox Patriarch visits Ukraine, calls for ‘church unity’

September 17th, 2009 Vatican sees end to tensions with Russian OrthodoxVATICAN CITY — Relations with the Russian Orthodox church have vastly improved, possibly paving the way for a papal visit to Moscow or a historic meeting between the pope and the Orthodox patriarch outside of Russia or the Vatican, a senior Vatican cardinal said Thursday. Cardinal Walter Kasper told Vatican Radio "we have overcome all the tensions in recent years." He spoke after meeting with Archbishop Hilarion, head of external relations for the Moscow patriarch's office.

August 25th, 2009 Bulgaria's church deplores Madonna concertSOFIA, Bulgaria — Orthodox Church officials are urging Bulgarians to keep away from a planned Madonna concert this weekend, accusing the pop singer of showing disrespect to Christianity. The powerful Church of Bulgaria has issued a statement expressing "disapproval and disagreement" with Saturday's event, and says the U.S.

August 13th, 2009 Ukrainian president rejects Russian criticismKIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Thursday rejected sharp criticism from his Russian counterpart, saying the Kremlin is to blame for a downturn in bilateral ties. Yushchenko was responding to an open letter from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who has accused him of conducting a hostile policy toward Russia.

August 12th, 2009 Russian leader says Ukraine endangering gas supplyMOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has accused Ukraine of endangering European gas supplies, and threatened to delay sending a new Russian ambassador until relations with its neighbor improve. In a letter to Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko released Tuesday by the Kremlin, Medvedev also criticizes Yushchenko's push to make Ukraine a NATO member and his support for an Orthodox church outside Moscow's control.

July 27th, 2009 Russian Patriarch calls for unity with UkraineKIEV, Ukraine — The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church led solemn prayers in Kiev on Monday, the first day of 10-day visit aimed at reasserting Moscow's dominance over church leaders in Ukraine. Patriarch Kirill led the service on the sacred St.

July 27th, 2009 Patriarch Kirill: No independent church in UkraineKIEV, Ukraine — The head of the Russian Orthodox Church rejected calls from Ukraine's president to create a local Orthodox church that would be independent from Moscow, saying he firmly supports the status quo. Patriarch Kirill arrived in Ukraine for a prolonged visit, which observers say is aimed at reasserting Moscow's religious and political influence over this predominantly Orthodox nation of 46 million, which is trying to integrate with the West.

July 21st, 2009 Russian pupils to have choice of religion, ethicsBARVIKHA, Russia — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced a pilot project Tuesday that will require schoolchildren to take classes in religion or secular ethics. The proposal is part of a Kremlin effort to teach young Russians morals in the wake of a turbulent period of uncertainty following the collapse of the officially atheist Soviet Union.

July 5th, 2009 Russian pagans from ancient cult greet solsticeMALOYAROSLAVETS, Russia — Tambourine throbbing in hand, Velislav chants to gods whose cult has almost been obliterated by a millennium of Christianity in Russia. Several hundred followers wearing linen, ancient Slavic ornaments and flower garlands circle around the high priest to celebrate the summer solstice, in an all-night festivity fought by the Russian Orthodox Church for centuries.

July 5th, 2009 Greek, Russian Orthodox leaders show unityISTANBUL, Turkey — The spiritual leaders of the Orthodox Christian churches in Istanbul and Russia led Sunday prayers together in a show of unity after years of jostling for influence. Istanbul Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I said the two churches must overcome differences, though he stressed his church's status as "first among equals" with the historic role of coordinating between the various Orthodox branches, of which Russia's is the largest.

June 16th, 2009 Ukraine seeks $4B gas loan from EuropeKIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine is seeking a $4 billion loan from European banks to pay for natural gas imports from Russia this year, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Tuesday. Speaking in Luxembourg after a meeting with European Union officials, Tymoshenko said the loan would guarantee the transit of Russian gas supplies to European consumers through Ukraine, according to her Web site.

June 16th, 2009 YEKATERINBURG - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur, who has accompanied him to this Russian industrial city, Tuesday visited the site of the gruesome massacre of Russia's last tsar and his family that has now turned into a centre of pilgrimage. Tsar Nicholas II and his close family have been canonized and are now revered as saints.

March 22nd, 2009 KOTTAYAM - Irked at the Congress party for ignoring its candidate request, the Orthodox Church in Kerala has decided to put up four candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. The 2.5 million-strong Kottayam headquartered church approached the Congress party with a request to put up a senior Indian Administrative Service officer at the newly constituted Pathanamthitta seat, where the church has a strong presence.

January 19th, 2009 MOSCOW - Ukraine's gas system started receiving Russian gas for transit to Europe Tuesday, a spokesman of Russian energy giant Gazprom said. Following Sunday's talks between the two countries' premiers, Gazprom and Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz Monday signed a contract on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine for 2009-19.

January 15th, 2009 Novo-OGARYOVO - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed to the European Union (EU) to set up a consortium to buy from its energy giant Gazprom the amount of gas that Ukraine says is necessary to resume transit to Europe. 'We are proposing that our European partners share the risks and set up an international consortium that could buy from Gazprom the necessary amount of gas and immediately send it to Ukraine to secure gas transit to Europe,' Putin said Thursday.

January 12th, 2009 KIEV - Energy officials in Kiev Tuesday said Russian natural gas was slowly moving into Ukraine's pipeline system, rejecting allegations from Moscow that Ukraine was blocking the flow. 'Gas has started to come in (to Ukraine's pipeline system from Russia),' an official from the Ukrainian natural gas monopoly Naftogaz Ukrainy said.