Lord Jackson of Peterborough is vice chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Freedom of Religion or Belief
You might be forgiven for thinking that a country with two Christmas Days would be a particularly happy land. Not so. Ukraine now has two such days of celebration, but a schism has opened up in this grievously suffering place over which one is the rightful date for the God-fearing faithful.
For the best part of 1,000 years, the Orthodox Christians of Ukraine have celebrated Christ’s birth according to the traditional Julian calendar of January 7.
But now the State has intervened. Against the background of the first Russian invasion of 2014 and its annexation of Crimea, in 2017, the Ukrainian Parliament voted to make the 25th December an official state holiday – opening the door to the country having two official Christmases.
Fewer than two years after this move the Ukrainian government was heavily involved in the creation of a new Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), to be a direct competitor to the historic Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).
The reason? Ukraine is a much divided land. The barbaric Russian assault stretching back to 2022 has failed to break its heroic resistance, much of which can be attributed to President Zelensky’s brave and skilful leadership. But mistakes have been made – not least the attempt by politicians to rewrite the religious map and outlaw the ancient UOC on the spurious grounds that because of its historic links to Moscow it is an agent of a foreign power.
The seizure of UOC churches and cathedrals and the arrests of its priests have been rightly condemned by the likes of the Pope and the Church of England. But the attempt to divide the Christian faithful over the timing of Christmas Day looks even more petty and counter-productive. Ukrainians should be coming together in their hour of need – not squabbling over symbols.
Judging by congregations last year, the traditional date of January 7 remains the favoured choice of the people. No doubt, ‘patriots’ will be put under even more pressure to switch to the 25. But President Zelensky and his ministers would be far better advised to let the people decide on a matter that is best kept out of the clumsy grasp of the authorities.
However, the situation has become even more complicated. The campaign against the UOC has culminated with President Zelensky following through on his efforts to ban the church by law in a clear violation of the right to freedom of religion.
Supporters of his Bill argue that it is not targeting the UOC but rather a ban on the Russian Orthodox Church and those who continue to maintain ties to the ROC. This is at best misdirection and at worst grossly misleading.
The legal conditions are designed in such a way that it is impossible for the UOC ever to meet the requirement to be seen as independent of Moscow. The UOC’s declaration of independence is ignored, repeated condemnations of the Russian invasion are dismissed and the immense efforts of UOC clergy to support their fellow Ukrainians overlooked as they all suffer in the face of Putin’s brutality.
Zelensky’s attack on religious freedom takes a more alarming twist as we approach the Christmas season. It is no longer a simple question of which day to celebrate Christmas, or indeed the possibility of celebrating both. Parishioners and priests of the UOC risk imprisonment, constant police investigations and mobs whipped up against them for their beliefs and church. The propaganda cry is “spies in cassocks”.
People who choose to celebrate Christmas on January 7 will now be viewed with increased suspicion and hostility against the backdrop of the ban and the ongoing campaign of intimidation and violence directed towards members of the UOC. In the back of minds will be the question of supposed Russian sympathies. A question that has been entirely fabricated by a state hostile to its own historic church and traditions.
Christmas should be a time for people to come together. Ukraine’s tragedy is that because of misplaced suspicions, the act of celebration is driving people apart.
Lord Jackson of Peterborough is vice chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Freedom of Religion or Belief
You might be forgiven for thinking that a country with two Christmas Days would be a particularly happy land. Not so. Ukraine now has two such days of celebration, but a schism has opened up in this grievously suffering place over which one is the rightful date for the God-fearing faithful.
For the best part of 1,000 years, the Orthodox Christians of Ukraine have celebrated Christ’s birth according to the traditional Julian calendar of January 7.
But now the State has intervened. Against the background of the first Russian invasion of 2014 and its annexation of Crimea, in 2017, the Ukrainian Parliament voted to make the 25th December an official state holiday – opening the door to the country having two official Christmases.
Fewer than two years after this move the Ukrainian government was heavily involved in the creation of a new Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), to be a direct competitor to the historic Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).
The reason? Ukraine is a much divided land. The barbaric Russian assault stretching back to 2022 has failed to break its heroic resistance, much of which can be attributed to President Zelensky’s brave and skilful leadership. But mistakes have been made – not least the attempt by politicians to rewrite the religious map and outlaw the ancient UOC on the spurious grounds that because of its historic links to Moscow it is an agent of a foreign power.
The seizure of UOC churches and cathedrals and the arrests of its priests have been rightly condemned by the likes of the Pope and the Church of England. But the attempt to divide the Christian faithful over the timing of Christmas Day looks even more petty and counter-productive. Ukrainians should be coming together in their hour of need – not squabbling over symbols.
Judging by congregations last year, the traditional date of January 7 remains the favoured choice of the people. No doubt, ‘patriots’ will be put under even more pressure to switch to the 25. But President Zelensky and his ministers would be far better advised to let the people decide on a matter that is best kept out of the clumsy grasp of the authorities.
However, the situation has become even more complicated. The campaign against the UOC has culminated with President Zelensky following through on his efforts to ban the church by law in a clear violation of the right to freedom of religion.
Supporters of his Bill argue that it is not targeting the UOC but rather a ban on the Russian Orthodox Church and those who continue to maintain ties to the ROC. This is at best misdirection and at worst grossly misleading.
The legal conditions are designed in such a way that it is impossible for the UOC ever to meet the requirement to be seen as independent of Moscow. The UOC’s declaration of independence is ignored, repeated condemnations of the Russian invasion are dismissed and the immense efforts of UOC clergy to support their fellow Ukrainians overlooked as they all suffer in the face of Putin’s brutality.
Zelensky’s attack on religious freedom takes a more alarming twist as we approach the Christmas season. It is no longer a simple question of which day to celebrate Christmas, or indeed the possibility of celebrating both. Parishioners and priests of the UOC risk imprisonment, constant police investigations and mobs whipped up against them for their beliefs and church. The propaganda cry is “spies in cassocks”.
People who choose to celebrate Christmas on January 7 will now be viewed with increased suspicion and hostility against the backdrop of the ban and the ongoing campaign of intimidation and violence directed towards members of the UOC. In the back of minds will be the question of supposed Russian sympathies. A question that has been entirely fabricated by a state hostile to its own historic church and traditions.
Christmas should be a time for people to come together. Ukraine’s tragedy is that because of misplaced suspicions, the act of celebration is driving people apart.