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.