Friday, February 19, 2010

Russian Patriarch Kirill to Attend New Ukrainian President's Inauguration in Kiev on February 25

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will attend the inauguration of Viktor Yanukovych as president of Ukraine, the Ria Novosti website reports today.

The inauguration ceremony is scheduled to be held on February 25, 2010 in Kiev; however, it may be delayed over a legal appeal by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who lost the February 7 runoff by 3.48 percent.

Tymoshenko has refused to concede defeat, and she appealed to Ukraine's Supreme Administrative Court on February 16, claiming election fraud and demanding ballots be recounted in three Ukrainian regions.

Patriarch Kirill was one of the first persons to congratulate Yanukovich on the victory. He urged the new Ukrainian leader to assume "responsibility to God, people, and history."

Christianity in Ukraine is divided into three major divisions: One Orthodox division is under the Russian Patriarchate; a second Orthodox division is independent and is under the Patriarch of Kiev; and a third division is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which is under the Papacy.

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