Phanar’s Exarch for Ukraine: It doesn’t matter when we celebrate Christmas

The Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Bishop Michael of Comana, celebrated the Christmas Liturgy on January 7 at St. Andrew’s Church in Kyiv. Photo: Facebook

On January 7, the day of the Nativity of Christ according to the Julian calendar, Bishop Michael of Comana, the Exarch of the Constantinople Patriarchate, conducted the festive service at St. Andrew’s Church in Kyiv. In his sermon, he condemned disputes over the calendar issue, as reported on the Phanar Exarchate’s Facebook page.

“Today we are celebrating Christmas according to the old calendar. And we see that, fundamentally, little has changed in two thousand years because, as soon as the Christmas season begins, disputes and arguments arise about which calendar to use to celebrate the Nativity of Christ,” said the bishop.

He added, “I am confident that for the Lord Jesus Christ, it makes no difference when we celebrate His Nativity. What matters to Him is how we celebrate it and how this celebration transforms our hearts.”

According to the Phanar’s Exarch, the true celebration of Christmas begins long before the event itself and continues every day of our lives. It lies in striving for spiritual perfection, helping others, and forgiving offenses.

“If the Nativity of Christ is merely about attending church services and singing carols, and it ends there, that is not truly celebrating Christmas,” he noted.

The hierarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate emphasized the need to live this event. “Therefore, when celebrating the Nativity of Christ, congratulating our relatives, loved ones, or anyone we meet, let us remember that it’s not about calendars. It’s about how deeply this event has transformed us,” he concluded.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the head of the Phanar celebrated Christmas according to the old calendar with Russians in Istanbul.

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