His Beatitude Sviatoslav Explains Why the UGCC in Ukraine Celebrates Easter in the Old Style
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the UGCC, in the Open Church program on Zhyve Television expressed the stance of the Church regarding the preservation of the current Paschalia and the celebration of Easter according to the Julian calendar. He emphasized that it is important for the UGCC to remain in unity with the Orthodox brethren in Ukraine, and the issue of the reform of the Paschal calendar requires a more thorough consideration.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that there are two versions of Paschalia: the new one (used by the Roman Catholic Church) and the old one (used by all Orthodox Churches of the world). “For us, Greek Catholics, this is a certain challenge,” the Head of the Church recognized. He reminded that most UGCC parishes outside of Ukraine celebrate Easter according to the new Paschal calendar.
“We in Ukraine wish to celebrate Easter with our Orthodox brothers,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav, “We understand that our Orthodox brothers will not reform the Paschal calendar in the near future.” He noted that no Orthodox Church in the world uses the Latin Paschalia, and the joint celebration of Easter is a symbol of unity for the Orthodox world.
Therefore, when asked about the transition to Easter according to the Gregorian calendar, the Primate replied that “today we are only at the beginning of this challenging road ahead.”
“Now the priority is given to local unity, because today it is not yet possible to comprehend universal unity. We have therefore taken a step at the local level to implement the calendar reform, considering the ability or inability of our Orthodox brothers to follow us,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
At the same time, the Head of the Church assured that the preservation of the current Paschal calendar does not harm the unity of the UGCC with the Apostolic Capital: “This unity, this communion does not impose uniformitarianism. It is always unity in diversity,” he explained.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav expressed hope that all Christians in Ukraine would contribute to the common reform of the church calendar, though he emphasized that it would be a long and difficult path: “We in Ukraine — Orthodox, Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics — must be a catalyst for these processes.”
In addition, in the program “Open Church” on Zhyve Television, the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, spoke about the peculiarities and historical significance of the The Message of the of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in Ukraine on War and Just Peace in the Context of New Ideologies about the recent visit of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC to the United States, and shared his thoughts on whether it is advisable to build churches in times of war.
The UGCC Department for Information
