Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada Adopts New Julian Calendar
Date: 2023-12-16 Author: Dima Zakharov Categories: DIASPORA
Embracing Change: Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada Transitions to New Julian Calendar
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada has made a significant decision to transition to the new Julian calendar, a move officially announced by the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada, Metropolitan Ilarion.
The Transition Details
Commencing from December 20, 2023, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada will regulate its liturgical cycle according to the new Julian calendar. Metropolitan Ilarion emphasized that parishes unwilling to adopt the calendar change are permitted to remain on the Julian calendar. He stressed that no parish would be compelled to immediately adopt the new Julian calendar if unprepared for the shift.
Motives Behind the Change
One of the primary motives behind the official shift in the church calendar was the recent decisions regarding the use of the liturgical calendar in Ukraine, the ancestral homeland.
Following the Lead
This decision follows the footsteps of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which officially transitioned to the new Julian calendar at the beginning of the ecclesiastical new year on September 1 earlier this year.
