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...political leaders with his attempts to move Ukraine toward Western structures such as the European Union and NATO. Moscow has responded with a series of threats and cuts to gas supplies to try to keep Ukraine in check, along with appeals to the countries' historical and cultural links. The Church, which enjoys strong relations with the Kremlin, is in a unique position to lend support to Moscow's attempts to keep Ukraine close, given its claims to spiritual authority over Ukrainian territory. "Our historical past is here, and our future will to a large extent be decided here," said Kirill...
...Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, was greeted by a mixture of protests and celebrations during his 10-day visit to Kiev, known to Russians as the "mother of all Russian cities." The trip, which began on July 27, was Kirill's first to Ukraine since he took over the role of Patriarch after the death of Alexy II in December 2008. Kirill toured holy sites across the country, met with political leaders and gave an interview on national television, all with the insistence that his visit had no political agenda. But some observers are skeptical, saying...
...religious histories of Ukraine and Russia are closely - and sometimes controversially - intertwined. After Prince Volodymyr of Kiev was baptized into Christianity in 988, leadership of the Church became a crucial instrument in winning primacy among the princes of the Rus people who inhabited much of the territory of modern-day Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. The consolidation and spread of Muscovy's regional power during the 14th century coincided with the Church leader's move to the principality. The patriarch's full title is Patriarch of Moscow and All of Rus, a constant reminder of how the Russian Orthodox Church...
...Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, an independent church, known as the Kiev Patriarchate, was formed in Ukraine alongside the Moscow Patriarchate. It remains canonically unrecognized, but surveys show it has a comparable number of followers to the Russian branch of the Church. Together, the members of both branches make Ukraine one of the most religious countries in Europe; more than 60% of Ukrainians have been brought up in the Orthodox faith...
...Last year, pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko irked the Russian Orthodox leadership with an unsuccessful attempt to unite both patriarchates in Ukraine into one independent church, without involvement from Moscow. Kirill, too, would like to see both branches united, but not in a way that would satisfy Yushchenko - last week, the patriarch called for members of the two churches to unite under his leadership. (See pictures of a diverse group of American teens...