RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇰🇪 Kenya·
A high court in Mombasa, Kenya, sentenced Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children. The judge, Diana Kavedza Mochache, issued the verdict on November 6. Mackenzie led the Good News International Church and allegedly forced followers to starve their children to approach Jesus Christ. According to the prosecution, 183 victims died of starvation and eight from direct violence. The case gained public attention in April 2023 when bodies were discovered in shallow graves near Malindi. Mackenzie and 28 other followers were found guilty on October 19. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, but the court imposed the lengthy prison term instead.
Translated from УкраїнськаAlso reported by 153 outlets
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
In Kyiv, author Olexiy Hordeyev presented a new book analyzing the role of religion during the Russian aggression from 2014 to 2025. According to RISU, the work focuses on collaboration by clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the service of Ukrainian chaplains. Metropolitan Epifaniy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine wrote the foreword, stating the book exposes the enemy's cynical use of faith. Former President Viktor Yushchenko also commented on the publication. Hordeyev aims to counter Russian disinformation and plans to translate the book into English for international distribution.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
A court in Zakarpattia, Ukraine, fined a pensioner for posting offensive comments about the Orthodox Church of Ukraine on Facebook between 2023 and 2025. According to the verdict, Vasyl Holubka called Metropolitan Epifaniy an antichrist and urged supporters to go to the front. The defendant admitted guilt, citing emotions, and noted he had donated to the military. Judge Olexiy Fazikosh convicted him of inciting religious hatred, ordering a fine and confiscating his Xiaomi phone. The outlet reports the sentence may be appealed.
On Monday, November 9, 2026, Pope Leo XIV visited the Orionists’ Mercy Town in Claypole, a suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This facility, founded in 1935 by Saint Luigi Orione, shelters over 400 people with disabilities. During his address to residents, staff, and volunteers, the Pope emphasized that the Gospel remains alive and active in such places of compassion. He praised the dignity of individuals with disabilities, stating their lives are a blessing rather than a burden. The Pontiff also highlighted the relic of Saint Orione’s heart kept at the site, urging attendees to respond to the call to holiness and continue serving with love and humility.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
A Russian Orthodox priest stated that former prisoners who participated in the war in Ukraine were treated as peacemakers. The cleric shared an experience from 2022, when he administered communion to approximately sixty inmates at a strict-regime colony in Antipino. According to the outlet, some of these individuals later joined private military companies and died in combat. The priest described this outcome as divine mercy, noting that the men repented and united with Christ before dying as heroes. This account highlights the religious framing of combatants involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
A fire broke out at a church belonging to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Saturday, November 7. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as reported by Informator, the blaze caused damage to the interior wall and ceiling decorations, along with religious items. Nine firefighters responded to the scene to extinguish the flames. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the public or the emergency responders.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
Human rights defenders presented the 'Religious Freedom 2026' report in Berlin on November 3, stating that global religious liberty has worsened. Johann Mattis of the German Evangelical Alliance highlighted that Russia uses the Russian Orthodox Church to justify its invasion of Ukraine. He noted that over 640 Ukrainian places of worship were damaged or destroyed, and at least 67 clergy members were killed by Russian forces. Mattis criticized Moscow for portraying itself as a defender of Christianity while suppressing believers in occupied territories. The report urges international cooperation to document these abuses and support persecuted Christians.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
The head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) blessed and handed over specialized vehicles to representatives of Ukraine's defense forces. The vehicles were purchased with the help of benefactor Maksym Korol. The ceremony included prayers by Metropolitan Evstratiy of Bila Tserkva, Archbishop Agapit of Vyshhorod, and other clergy, alongside military personnel and volunteers. The OCU leader also honored the donors with church awards. Additionally, portable defibrillators were given to soldiers for emergency medical aid, funded by the parish of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Washington, USA.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
Journalists from Dnipro.media discovered that a children's magazine titled 'Bogdan' is being sold at the Holy Dormition Cathedral in Dnipro, Ukraine. The publication, linked to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, contains content promoting the revival of Russia and featuring Russian state symbols. Articles compare clergy children to the Russian president and depict the Kremlin. Legal experts note potential violations of Ukrainian laws banning the promotion of the aggressor state. Authorities have been contacted to investigate the sale of these materials, which continue to be distributed despite the cessation of new print runs during the pandemic.
Translated from УкраїнськаAlso reported by 1 other outlet
On November 7, 2026, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro beatified 80 martyrs in Santander, Spain, representing Pope Leo XIV. The group includes 67 priests, three monks, three seminarians, and seven laypeople killed between 1936 and 1937 during anti-religious persecution. Father Francisco Gonzalez de Cordova, a parish priest from Santona, leads the group. He was executed on a prison ship in Santander Bay after refusing to flee. The ceremony took place at the Cathedral of Santander. The Vatican states these individuals were murdered out of hatred for their faith. Their remains were later identified and reburied in the cathedral crypt.
Translated from УкраїнськаAlso reported by 4 outlets
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, stated that acts of mercy in Ukraine are under constant Russian fire. In a video address released on November 8, he described the destruction and mentioned that the president estimated approximately 100 deaths in one location. The leader emphasized that the enemy aims to instill fear in volunteers and rescuers. He thanked law enforcement and humanitarian workers for their heroism. Shevchuk urged people not to fear showing love or saving lives. He also highlighted the church's commitment to supporting Ukrainian families affected by the ongoing war.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
Russian forces have reduced a women's monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, to ruins. Soldiers from the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade shared video of the devastation, noting that personal items and uneaten food remained inside. Press officer Serhiy Skibchik described the scene as haunting, with the scent of incense lingering amidst broken windows. The attack occurred on the morning of November 2, when Russia dropped nine aviation bombs, including FAB-3000s, on the settlement. Rescue workers recovered 55 bodies from the rubble of an underground school, with search operations continuing.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
Mylo O'Herli, co-author of a new book, claims the Russian Orthodox Church engaged in espionage near Greek naval bases on Crete. He cites data from a detained church official's laptop suggesting Patriarch Kirill knew of the operations. O'Herli argues the church serves Kremlin interests by blessing the war in Ukraine and undermining Orthodox unity. He states the church uses property near NATO sites for surveillance, posing a threat to European security.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
Over 1,700 pilgrims completed the Camino Podolico route in Ukraine this season, marking a record high for the project. According to Vinnytsia regional council deputy Volodymyr Onufriychuk, this figure triples the previous year's total of approximately 500 certificates. The 250-kilometer path, which ends in Kamianets-Podilskyi, was traversed by 87% of participants on foot and 13% by bicycle. Most pilgrims were women aged 21 to 30, primarily from Ukrainian regions including Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa. Additionally, 17 travelers from nine countries participated in the scenic journey through Podillia.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
The State Department for Ethnic and Religious Affairs (DESS) announced that a court returned a counterclaim filed by the Religious Organization Mission of the Synodal Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church regarding family affairs. This development occurs within administrative proceedings initiated by DESS to forcibly liquidate the organization. The Sixth Appellate Administrative Court opened the case in September 2026. The mission is led by Vasyl Povoroznyuk, also known as Metropolitan Pantelimon, who was convicted in absentia in 2025 for criminal offenses related to Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territories. He received an 11-year prison sentence and a ban on holding religious positions. The court's decision on the counterclaim is part of the ongoing legal battle over the group's status in Ukraine.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
Clergy and young members of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv visited a local orphanage ahead of Orphans Prayer Day. The institution houses approximately one hundred girls and women. Donations from parishioners and support from charitable foundations, including Caritas-Kyiv and the Saint Vladimir Foundation, provided food, hygiene products, and sweets. Father Mykhailo Kramar coordinated the initiative. The group plans a return visit before Saint Nicholas Day to deliver further aid and fulfill wishes expressed by the residents. The annual observance, held in November, encourages prayer and support for children without parental care.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
The prosecutor's office in Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine, is attempting to cancel the permanent use rights of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church parish over a 0.5-hectare plot in the local dendropark. According to a commercial court ruling dated November 2, 2026, the state argues the land was improperly allocated because it belongs to a protected natural area. The parish received the site in 2012 but has not built a church, only placing a cross on the ground. The court has accepted the case, with a preparatory hearing scheduled for December 1 to determine the validity of the land registration.
Father Rafal Myszkowski, guardian of the All-Ukrainian Sanctuary of Our Lady of Berdychiv in Ukraine, discusses the Carmelite mission amid ongoing conflict. The sanctuary serves as a place of peace for displaced persons and pilgrims. Visitors, including Vatican envoys, find solace in the community's contemplative prayer and active pastoral care. The priest emphasizes that the sanctuary offers spiritual comfort to those suffering from war, reflecting the Pope's solidarity with the Ukrainian people through shared prayer and support.
RISU (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)·🇺🇦 Ukraine·
The Ivano-Frankivsk city administration has issued building permits for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Patriarchate of Kyiv) to construct a church near a local lake. According to zaxid.net, the approval was granted on October 16 for a plot adjacent to tennis courts. The project, led by parish head Valeriy Zhyguts and contractor Oksana Druk, plans a 21-meter high structure seating 120 people. This decision follows a previous conflict where the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church withdrew its own construction plans after public protests demanding the preservation of the recreational zone. Mayor Ruslan Marcinkiv supported the Orthodox project, citing prior public hearings.
Translated from Українська
Read more →
SermonWave writes its own short summaries and links to the original reporting. Every story belongs to the outlet that reported it. About World News · Our sources · RSS feed
