UGCC seeks a single date for Easter: foreign parishes have already switched to the Gregorian calendar

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is considering the possibility of switching to a common date for celebrating Easter in coordination with Rome and Constantinople. Today, all foreign structures of the organization already celebrate the Resurrection of Christ according to the Western calendar, while inside Ukraine the Eastern tradition is preserved to ensure church unity.

As Ihor Yatsiv, head of the UGCC Information Department, told Ukrinform, the ideal scenario is the final agreement on a common date between the Pope and Patriarch Bartholomew. Dialogue on this issue has intensified in preparation for the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. According to the cleric, if agreements are reached at the highest level, the transition to the common numbering system in Ukraine will be «automatic.»

As reported earlier, Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople initiated discussions on the possibility of establishing a common date for the celebration of Easter for Christians of the Western and Eastern rites.