Russian Orthodox head appeals against eviction of church from Kyiv

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia conducts the Orthodox Christmas service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia, January 7, 2023. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina REFILE - CORRECTING DATE

(Reuters) - Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, on Saturday asked Pope Francis and other religious leaders to persuade Ukraine to stop a crackdown against a historically Russian-aligned wing of the church.

Kyiv on Friday ordered the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to leave a monastery complex where it is based, the latest move against a denomination the government says is pro-Russian and collaborating with Moscow.