The Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians of the Byzantine rite in Germany and Scandinavia will switch to the Gregorian calendar from September 1, 2023 (the beginning of the Indictus, the New Liturgical Year).
The decision is approved by the decree of His Eminence Bishop Bohdan, Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in Germany and Scandinavia: “In view of the spiritual good of God’s people entrusted to our pastoral care, realizing the needs of the faithful to fully live a liturgical, and above all, Eucharistic life, taking care of the spiritual development of the Apostolic Exarchate, after listening to the opinion of clergymen, consecrated persons, and laymen of our Exarchate, for the sake of deepening church unity with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, which announced the transition from September 1 (the beginning of the Indict) of the year of God 2023 to a new style for immovable holidays.
Taking into account these circumstances and peculiarities, and therefore the needs of pastoral ministry in Germany and the Scandinavian countries, the Apostolic Exarchate announces the transition to the Gregorian calendar without exceptions for movable and immovable holidays, reports Dukhovna Velych Lvova.
In the decree, the apostolic exarch also asks pastors to be sensitive and attentive to the needs of those lay people who, without being informed about these changes, will ask for spiritual services (consecration, blessing, etc.), in particular during major church holidays, in line with the Julian calendar.
The decree entered into force on April 23, 2023, after it was published on the website of the Apostolic Exarchate.
