Only a few hours ago, Orthodox Christian bishops from many countries were preparing smoothly enough for an historic gathering in Crete which although diminished by some last-minute withdrawals will still be a huge landmark in the history of eastern Christianity. As I explain in this week's print edition (see article), preparations for the Holy and Great Council, the first of its kind for many centuries, were disturbed by the late pullout of four of the 14 participating churches: those of Bulgaria, Georgia, Antioch (based in Syria) and finally the Patriarchate of Moscow, which is the biggest.
The Economist: As Orthodox leaders gather in Crete, Ukraine calls for an independent church
Patriarch of Ukrainian Orthodox church Filaret holds candles lit from the \"Holy Fire\" delivered from Jerusalem in Volodymyrsky Cathedral in Kyiv on April 11, 2015 during Orthodox Easter celebration.
