Citing “very painful calendar wars in North America,” the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said that his Eastern Catholic church will continue to follow the Julian calendar in the Ukraine.

“The introduction of the calendar historically reveals that it was not the main instrument of convergence or unity of the Church,” Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk told the Religious Information Service of Ukraine. “It is rather a question of internal discipline, which can contribute to unity or stand in the way.”

“As for our church in Ukraine, we do not see the necessary prerequisites nor do we have the required consensus among our bishops, among our clergy and faithful, in order to switch to the Gregorian calendar in Ukraine,” he said, acknowledging that his church “lives according to the Gregorian calendar in various countries according to local needs.”

Churches that use the Julian calendar celebrate Christmas on January 7.


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