The OCU will ask the state authorities to postpone the holiday, which is now celebrated on October 14, to October 1. Metropolitan Alexander Drabinko said this in an interview with Radio Liberty.

“My initiative was to appeal to the relevant state authorities, in whose competence it is, to resolve this issue, according to the church calendar in the new style, as we call it, according to the holidays that are tied to it,” he said.

According to him, “these are Intercession and Statehood Day. In fact, these are only two holidays that we celebrate together with the state, which coincide with church holidays, state dates. And Christmas on December 25 – it has already been declared a day off by the state,” – Drabinko noted.

Today, on October 14, the state celebrates the Day of Defenders and Defenders of Ukraine, this is an official holiday. Day of Ukrainian statehood – a public holiday, but not a day off, is celebrated annually on July 28, on the Day of the Baptism of Rus’.