The leader of the new independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church was enthroned in a ceremony in Kiev on Sunday, formalising a break with the Russian Orthodox Church that has enraged Moscow. During the three-hour event in the gold-decked 11th-century Saint Sophia Cathedral, Metropolitan Yepifaniy became head of the Church, having been elected by bishops last year. The 40-year-old is a critic of Moscow’s religious influence in Ukraine and has helped organise humanitarian aid for Kiev’s army in its struggle against Russian-backed separatist movements.
