"Catholic" Christmas to be a working day while "Orthodox" falls on day off

Prime Minister Shmyhal announced that there will be no day off for "Catholic" Christmas. Photo: Shmyhal's FB page

25 December will be a working day in 2023 though the authorities have given "Catholic Christmas" state status and declared it a day off. During martial law, this day will be a working day," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a meeting of the cabinet of Ministers. He published a video of the speech on his Facebook.

"This year for the first time throughout Ukraine we will celebrate Christmas according to the new style, 25 December,” said Shmyhal, without specifying the meaning of the pronoun "we". “After the war, this day will be a holiday and a day off. But now there is a war. Therefore, for all authorities and state enterprises, 25 December will be a working day, as well as for critical infrastructure enterprises."

At the same time, 7 January 2024, when the UOC will celebrate Christmas, falls on a Sunday. Thus, this day will be a day off.

As earlier reported, all denominations, except the UOC, decided to jointly greet Ukrainians on Christmas.

Read also

Archbishop Simeon speaks about situation surrounding Sinai Monastery

The new abbot of the Sinai monastery hopes the issue of recognition by the Egyptian authorities will be resolved soon.

UOC files complaint over arbitrariness in Kuzmyn church seizure – lawyer

Following the forcible seizure of the UOC Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos in the Khmelnytskyi region, a crime report has been filed and court actions have been launched.

Armenian Church hierarch moved from pretrial detention to house arrest

Yerevan’s Court of Appeal granted the defense motion for Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan.

In Baturyn, armed police "guard" convent from nuns and parishioners

Sisters of the St. Nicholas Krupytsky Convent of the UOC and local believers have been denied entry to the monastery grounds for hours, which has been turned into a restricted facility.

UOC's foreign mission reports manipulations around its activities

The Western European Vicariate emphasized that UOC parishes abroad operate independently and were created for the spiritual care of the Ukrainian diaspora.

Clergy meeting of Western European Vicariate of UOC held in Italy

The annual gathering of clergy of the Vicariate took place in the city of Bari under the chairmanship of Bishop Veniamin.