Ukrainian Christmas carols banned in churches of Simferopol

Church choirs of the UOC (MP) in Simferopol were banned to perform Christmas carols in Ukrainian language on the feast of Nativity of Christ in order “not to create problems.” This is reported by local residents, QHA states.

Back in 2015, the parishioners whole-heartedly enjoyed Christmas carols performed by urban Ukrainian church choirs.

On Christmas Eve, Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) said that Church Slavonic, not Ukrainian should be used in churches, and that the Church he heads is the only factor that connects Crimea with Ukraine.

According to Metropolitan, Crimea "broke away" from Ukraine because the Ukrainians "began to interfere in their matters with their Western values".