Chancellor explains why UOC does not switch to new calendar

UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary. Photo: pravlife.org

The UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, commented on the demands for the Church to switch to the new calendar, reports the "Orthodox Life" website.

Metropolitan Anthony reminded of the purpose and manner in which the new calendar was introduced in those Orthodox Churches that adhere to it. The aggressive introduction of the calendar reform in the 1920s is linked to the name of Constantinople Patriarch Meletius IV (Metaxakis).

"His desire to switch the Orthodox to a new calendar, almost identical to the Western Gregorian calendar, was motivated not so much by the desire to provide the Church with a more accurate chronology as by political calculations for the union with the Anglican Church," notes the UOC hierarch.

Metropolitan Anthony recalled the difficulties of the calendar reform and certain liturgical problems associated with this transition. For example, when Easter is late, the Petrov Lent can be entirely omitted from the liturgical year.

The UOC Chancellor believes that the calendar issue is currently a political problem rather than a church one.

"Those who aggressively hype up this issue think the least about parishioners, especially now when our Church is literally being targeted for prohibition, which means destruction," Metropolitan Anthony stated. "Caring for the faithful is our foremost duty. Let's ask a simple question: Is church life by the Julian calendar currently preventing people from being led to God? Clearly, it does not. Will transitioning to the new calendar bring us closer to the Lord? The answer is also evident."

The UOC bishop believes that the negative impact of such a thoughtless shift is quite clear.

"Recall all the consequences of radical church reforms to put any enthusiasm without reason in check. To enter believers into temptation and cause another schism in the Church at this moment is, to put it mildly, irresponsible. Secular authorities have the right, based on their priorities, to introduce or abolish holidays that it considers national. Our right, however, is to celebrate church holidays at our established time-honoured tradition. And no one can take this right away from us," he declared.

As previously reported, Metropolitan Anthony stated that the status of the UOC has never hindered it from leading people to God.

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