Moscow Patriarch Bartholomew

Russian women in Istanbul greet Patriarch Bartholomew at the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called. Photo: Phanar's Facebook page

In recent days, several public figures have called 7 January "Moscow Christmas". The head of the Volyn RMA, Nedotep, stated that on this day, only "enemies, who should disappear like Russia," celebrate. The Volyn "metropolitan" M. Zinkevych assured that those celebrating according to the Julian calendar are not with Ukraine, but "with those who la-la-la" (a reference to a profane song about Putin). Finally, Poroshenko reprimanded the Rada for the MPs celebrating "Moscow Christmas" instead of working.

One could spend a long time explaining to these people that 7 January is celebrated by the Jerusalem, Serbian, Macedonian, Polish, Georgian Churches, and Mount Athos.

But perhaps the most convincing argument would be Patriarch Bartholomew's "Old Style" Christmas service for the Russian community in Istanbul. During it, the parishioners greeted His Divine All-Holiness in Russian national costumes and kokoshniks (a traditional Russian headdress worn by women and girls – Trans.). So, there are three "crimes" in a row:

• A service according to the Moscow calendar,
• A service for Russians,
• Propaganda of the culture of the aggressor country.

We suggest that the "hierarchs" of the OCU and patriotic politicians refer to Patriarch Bartholomew as nothing other than the "Moscow cassock".

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