Ukrainian customs officers have seized copies of an address by Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill that was to be read out in Ukrainian churches next Monday when Orthodox Christians mark Christmas, the spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church said.
“Sources in Ukraine say that local customs has confiscated all copies of the Christmas address by Patriarch Kirill, which was sent from Russia to be traditionally read out at the church celebration on January 7,” Vladimir Legoida said in a post on Telegram.
The spokesman said that the official reason was a breach of “customs formalities.” He added that in this day and age the patriarch’s address could be read from a smartphone screen.