Moscow Patriarch Kirill accused the West of "hating" Russia because it represents "an alternative path of civilizational development." He made the comments during the celebration of the Christmas Mass on Jan.

The patriarch of Russia's Orthodox Church, celebrating Christmas alongside Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, said on Tuesday that the Western world despised Russia and its "alternative path of civilised development".

Patriarch Kirill, leader of Russia's Orthodox Church, alongside President Putin, criticized the Western world for despising Russia’s alternative development path. Kirill, a supporter of Russia's Ukraine invasion,

Russia's invasion, which began in February 2022, has also been a source of religious controversy within the Eastern Orthodox Church and has driven a split among believers in both Russia and Ukraine.Vi