5 Jul 2014 17:36

Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine dies

MOSCOW. July 5 (Interfax) - Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine has died in Kyiv, the Moscow Patriarchate reported on its website.

"His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine, the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was taken by the Lord on July 5, 2014," it said.

Archpriest Georgy (Kovalenko), a spokesman for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, said on Facebook, "On Sunday, His Beatitude's body will be [put on display] at one of the [Kyiv-Pechersk] Lavra's cathedrals."

It was reported earlier that the 78-year-old metropolitan suffered from internal bleeding while receiving treatment at a Kyiv clinic.