"We will teach you to love the new style!": Court opens criminal case "on the fact of disruption of Christmas service" in OCU church in Prykarpattia region

The Kosiv District Court ordered law enforcement agencies to initiate criminal proceedings over an incident that occurred in the village of Kosmach, Kosiv district. According to media reports, on December 25, 2025, supporters of the celebration of Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar were unable to enter the church to participate in Christmas religious events at the local Peter and Paul Church of the OCU, which caused a wide public outcry. The transition to the so-called new style of the church calendar was opposed by the rector of the local OCU community and parishioners who expressed a desire to celebrate Christmas as it had been done all along before the conflict — on January 7.

According to Kolomyia Informator, according to the court’s decision, information about the criminal offense should be entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations. These are alleged violations under Part 1 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine («Intentional actions aimed at inciting national, regional, racial or religious enmity and hatred») and Part 1 of Article 180 («Illegal obstruction of a religious rite, religious worship or other religious actions»).

The incident occurred when supporters of the traditional calendar, who oppose the transition to the «New Julian calendar,» blocked access to the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Parishioners who wanted to celebrate Christmas on December 25 waited in the churchyard for more than five hours, but the religious events did not take place. It is noted that people were told that they had no keys to the church.

Earlier, we reported that the OCU church in honor of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Kosmach (Ivano-Frankivsk region) did not hold Christmas services on December 25 or January 7. This situation was the result of calendar disputes that arose among the adherents of the OCU in Kosmach, most of whom wished to celebrate Christmas in the old style, but this position was opposed by other villagers who expressed a desire to switch to the Gregorian calendar.