Orthodox Mark Christmas, but Conflict Overshadows Celebration for Many

A Russian Orthodox Church priest makes the sign of the cross during an Orthodox Christmas service at the Church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana near the Kremlin Wall in Moscow, Jan. 6, 2024. Metropolitan Epiphanius, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, blesses water during a traditional Epiphany celebration in Kyiv, Ukraine, Jan. 6, 2024.

Orthodox Christians packed churches Saturday night for Christmas Eve services, a holiday overshadowed for many believers by conflict.