PATRIARCH KIRILL: UKRAINE'S POLITICAL CONJUNCTURE, CHURCH SCHISM TEMPORARY

Interfax 

 Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia believes in overcoming the church schism in Ukraine.
"The creation of the so-called Kiev Patriarchate was caused by political reasons. Under the favorable conditions, it has evolved into a political nationalist movement under pseudo-religious slogans," the patriarch said at the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations in Moscow.
"And this is very sad. But the schism in Ukraine is temporary, as is the political conjuncture that generated it," he said.
The future belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, which continues its service on the banks of the Dniester River, and "is thriving like never before," the patriarch said.