Liturgy in the East will officially celebrate these famous saints

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, a significant Eastern Catholic community in communion with Rome, has announced the inclusion of several prominent saints into its liturgical calendar. These saints, including St. John Paul II, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Charbel, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Alfonso Maria of Ligorio, and St. John Bosco, will now be celebrated in the church’s official liturgical observances. This decision reflects a broader effort to align the church’s calendar with the Gregorian system while maintaining its unique traditions.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, part of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches, shares many liturgical practices with the Orthodox Church but remains in full communion with the Pope. This distinction is particularly evident in how the church observes its calendar. While the majority of its members follow the Byzantine rite, a smaller community adheres to the Latin rite, using the Roman Missal common in Western Catholic traditions.

In February, the Greek Catholic bishops convened in western Ukraine to address calendar reforms. They decided to transition from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar starting September 1st. This shift, which aligns the church’s fixed feasts with the Gregorian system, was a significant step in harmonizing liturgical practices with the broader Catholic Church. The Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, had accumulated inaccuracies over centuries, prompting Pope Gregory XIII to establish the Gregorian calendar in 1582.

The adoption of the Gregorian calendar for fixed feasts marks a practical adjustment without altering the church’s traditional celebration of Easter and other movable feasts, which continue to follow the Julian calendar. This change allows the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church to maintain its rich liturgical heritage while integrating with the global Catholic community’s calendar system.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Spanish)