OCU will ask to move the public holiday from October 14 to October 1. This is connected with the new style of the church calendar

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) will ask the state authorities to move the Feast of the Intercession from October 14 to October 1 in accordance with the new church calendar.

Metropolitan Oleksandr (Drabynko) of Pereyaslavskyi and Vishnevskyi told about this in an interview with Radio Svoboda.

According to him, there are only two holidays that coincide with the state holidays. The first is the day of memory of the holy Prince Volodymyr the Great and the martyrs Cyril and Judith (July 28), which also became the Day of Statehood, and the second is Protection Day (October 14) — which is also the Day of Defenders of Ukraine.

The Metropolitan suggests turning to the authorities to settle this issue.

• On May 24, at the bishopsʼ council, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) decided to switch to the New Julian calendar. The calendar reform comes into effect on September 1, but it still has to be finally approved on July 27 by a decision of the Local Council. From now on, Christmas will be celebrated on December 25 instead of January 7, Epiphany on October 1, Epiphany on January 6, and Saint Nicholas Day on December 6. At the same time, the changes will not affect Easter and the Trinity.