Russian Church Cuts Ties with Egypt's Coptic Pope over Ukraine

The Russian Orthodox Church said Thursday it has cut ties with the leader of Egypt's Orthodox Copts, Pope Tawadros II, after he recognized Ukraine's independent Church.

The Russian Church's Holy Synod ruled at a meeting that it was "impossible" to mention the name of Tawadros in prayers and liturgical procedures, the Orthodox Church's website said.

In January, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, based in Istanbul, signed a decree formally creating an independent Ukrainian Church.

This ended more than 300 years of Moscow's control over Orthodox churches in Ukraine and affected millions of believers.

The Moscow Patriarchate condemned the move and cut ties with Constantinople.

Tawadros recognized the Ukrainian Church during a service in Egypt in November this year, the Moscow Church said.

The statement said the Church felt "deep grief" at Tawadros' actions, saying he had allied himself with "schismatics".

Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida wrote on Telegram messenger service Thursday that Tawadros' decision was "basically... personal."

The Russian Church said Egypt's Holy Synod was not involved in Tawadros' decision and so Moscow would maintain relations with senior clerics.

However, it said it was closing a representative office of the Egyptian Patriarchate in Moscow and Russian Orthodox parishes in Africa would not longer be under its supervision but instead directly under Russian Patriarch Kirill.

The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is one of the most ancient Christian communities and its believers are the largest Christian group in Egypt.