Christmas joy and anger for rival Orthodox churches in historic Kyiv monastery

Metropolitan Epifaniy I, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, leads for the first time a Christmas service inside Uspenskyi (Holy Dormition) Cathedral, at the compound of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, previously used by Ukrainian Orthodox Church branch loyal to Moscow, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 7, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

(This Jan. 7 story has been refiled to correct paragraphs 19, 20 and insert context on Bartholomew)

KYIV (Reuters) - Tears of joy streamed down worshippers' faces as Ukraine's main church celebrated a "return" to Kyiv's Cathedral of the Assumption on Orthodox Christmas day, shortly after taking control of it from a rival church with alleged ties to Russia.