OCU abandons Radonitsa

Serhiy Dumenko. Photo: Dumenko's Facebook page

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) announced that it had abandoned the commemoration of the departed on Radonitsa, stating that this tradition had entered Dumenko’s structure "from the Russian calendar."

"In Ukraine, traditionally, the entire second week after Pascha was considered a memorial period, called Provody (Farewell Week), and the commemoration itself was known as provody, pomynky (memorial gatherings), or hrobky (grave visits). Therefore, by the decision of the Holy Synod on July 14, 2024, it was established that the second week after Pascha, starting from Thomas Sunday, would be designated as the ‘Week of Commemoration of the Departed (Provody),’" the OCU reported.

At the same time, Dumenko's structure notes that commemoration practices "vary across different regions of Ukraine according to local traditions."

Earlier, the UOJ reported that on the Tuesday of the second week after Pascha, the Church traditionally celebrates Radonitsa.

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