French court decides to take down Virgin Mary statue

A court has given the town of Publier three months to remove its statue of the Virgin Mary to comply with a national ban on religious symbols in public spaces, reports BBC.

If it fails to do so, it will be fined €100 (£80; $105) a day. Mayor Gaston Lacroix said he will try to relocate the marble statue on private land.

The image of the mother of Jesus has been standing on the shores of Lake Geneva since 2011. It has been the subject of local controversy for some years after it was paid for with municipal funds.

The decision to remove the statue has been criticised on social media, with some wondering whether freedom of expression had been curbed.

Publier is a city in the department of Haute-Savoie, in eastern France.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry plans advocacy visits abroad for UCCRO

Members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations have planned advocacy visits abroad following a meeting with Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister.

UOC priest detained by recruitment officers in Kyiv sent to training ground

UOC priest Maksym Kostiuchenko, who was detained on his way to a church service in Kyiv, has been sent to a military training ground in Chernihiv Region.

25 tons of humanitarian aid from Volyn reach Sviatohirsk Lavra

Around 25 tons of food donated by believers of the UOC Volyn Eparchy arrived at Sviatohirsk Lavra on October 22.

UOC West European Vicariate holds children's camp in Germany

A children’s camp was held in the UOC’s Western Deanery in Germany from October 19 to 23.

Vinnytsia Metropolitan consecrates UOC Intercession church in Luka-Barska

Metropolitan Varsonofy consecrated the Church of the Intercession in Luka Barska, Vinnytsia Region, and celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the new church.

“Joy of All Who Sorrow” lower сhurch сonsecrated in Korosten

Metropolitan Nikodim of Zhytomyr and Novohrad-Volynskyi presided over the consecration of the church and celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Church in Korosten.