24 May 2023, Wednesday, 15:18 332

OCU Officially Switched To Celebrating Christmas On December 25, Intercession On October 1, And Epiphany On January 6

Editor: Daria Zubkova

Читати українською

Share:
Copied

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) officially switched to the celebration of Christmas according to the New Julian calendar, namely December 25, Intercession of the Virgin on October 1, and Epiphany on January 6.

This was announced by the OCU, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

On May 24, the decision of the Bishops' Council of the OCU under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine approved a resolution on the calendar issue, which determined the transition to the New Julian calendar from September 1 of this year, preserving the right to use the old calendar for parishes and monasteries that wish to do so.

"This is a decision that the majority of the faithful of our Church and the majority of Ukrainian society are waiting for from us. This decision is not easy, we have been approaching it for a long time, gradually, step by step, and we are making it carefully. But it is as necessary as at one time it was necessary to make a decision to introduce the living Ukrainian language in worship instead of the traditional Slavic one, to introduce an autocephalous system of Church life instead of centuries-old subordination. Not everyone accepted these decisions, not everyone supported them - but they were faithful and vitally necessary. Equally faithful and vital what is necessary for us is a decision to switch to an updated calendar, which is more accurate astronomically and ecclesiastically accepted, while preserving the traditional Paschal," Epiphanius said.

The general use of the New Julian calendar, after the approval of this decision by the Local Council convened on July 27, will be introduced from September 1 of this year, when the new church year begins.

At the same time, parishes and monasteries that wish to adhere to the old calendar will have this opportunity - the calendar reform will take place without coercion, gradually and consciously.

Nowadays, the Julian calendar is perceived as related to the Russian church culture, because the modern (New Julian) calendar is used by those Churches that support the Local Church, on the other hand, opponents and, first of all, the Russian Orthodox Church - adhere to the old (Julian) calendar.

Therefore, the desire to preserve and affirm one's Ukrainian spiritual identity, protection from the aggression of the "Russian world", requires a decision - to join the majority of Local Orthodox Churches and introduce the New Julian calendar into use.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine considered the possibility of switching to the celebration of Christmas on December 25 after the Bishops' Council, which will be held in May.