Joe Biden congratulated Orthodox Christians on Christmas in the old style calendar

On January 6, 2025, current US President Joe Biden wished a Merry Christmas to Orthodox Christians around the world who celebrate this holiday in the old style calendar. Biden said that he is praying for Orthodox Christians around the world who suffer from persecution, injustice and oppression. This is reported by the Voice of America.

“Today we pray for Orthodox Christians around the world who suffer from wars, conflicts, deprivation and oppression. They, like all people, are created in the image and likeness of God and deserve protection and safety, dignity and respect. We will continue to uphold these fundamental principles, including freedom of religion,” — the greeting reads.

As we reported earlier, on January 6, 2025, the official website of the President of the Republic of Poland published a Merry Christmas greeting that the head of state, Andrzej Duda, addressed to the Primate, clergy and faithful of the Polish Orthodox Church. Most of the POC celebrates Christmas according to the old style on January 7, and therefore the President of Poland congratulated the Orthodox Poles on the eve of Christmas.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who congratulated Ukrainians on the holiday on December 25 according to the Gregorian calendar, did not react to Christmas in the old style. Neither on January 6 nor 7 did the official media of the Office of the President of Ukraine react to the fact that a third of the country’s population celebrates this holiday according to the Julian calendar.