Washington D.C., Feb 8, 2023 / 10:55 am
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) announced Monday that it is switching its fixed-date religious celebrations to match the Gregorian calendar used by the Church in the West.
Ukrainian Catholics have been among the few remaining sects under the papacy to celebrate holidays according to the Julian calendar, which celebrates Christmas on Jan. 7 and Epiphany on Jan. 19. The Russian Orthodox Church and other Eastern Churches under the Patriarchate of Moscow follow the Julian calendar.
Now, Catholics in Ukraine will celebrate feasts on the same dates as Catholics in the U.S. and other Western nations, meaning Christmas will be observed on Dec. 25 and Epiphany on Jan. 6.
The change will take place at the beginning of the Ukrainian Catholic Church’s liturgical year, Sept. 1, 2023.