On the day that Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Church of St. George in Lviv, in western Ukraine, posted a sign on its front gate condemning Russia.
The church belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, whose leadership has defended the Russian invasion as recently as this past Sunday.
At a key moment in services at the Church of St. George, when bearded, golden-robed priests carry bread and wine to the altar, they normally invoke the name of their bishop in Moscow, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. But now some are refusing to say his name.
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Julian Hayda contributed to this report.
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Lauren Frayer covers South Asia for NPR News. In 2018, she opened a new NPR bureau in India's biggest city, its financial center, and the heart of Bollywood—Mumbai.