Orthodox Christians in Seychelles celebrate Christmas

Orthodox Christians in Seychelles celebrate Christmas

08-January-2016
Orthodox Christians in Seychelles gathered yesterday for a Holy Liturgy to celebrate the Father Sergios had messages of peace and love for humanityOrthodox Christmas, which normally falls on or near January 7.
As they follow the ancient Julian calendar, the Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas some 13 days later than those following the more modern Gregorian calendar like Catholic Christians.
The Christmas dates around January 7 may vary among some churches. The day is a time of reflection, inner thoughts and healing in many eastern European countries. Many Orthodox Christians fast before January 7, which is a day for feasting and enjoying friends’ and family members’ company.
Orthodox Christians hold to conventional Christian beliefs which are said to be highly conservative. Like the word “orthodox” itself means, they claim to hold to the traditional beliefs and customs of the early church that Jesus Christ established.
As for the Holy Liturgy yesterday, held in the Hibiscus Room of the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Hotel, it was conducted by Father Sergios Janosevic of the Parish of Seychelles of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa.
Father Sergios is the general vicar of the Orthodox Christians of Seychelles.
In his sermon Father Sergios had blessings, prayers of peace for all Christians, the country and its leaders.

“We are celebrating Christmas today. We also say Christmas is on the 25th December but we are celebrating Christmas 2015 even if we are now a few days in the year 2016,” said Father Sergios.
He explained that for the Orthodox Christians, Christmas is also on 25th December but they celebrate it thirteen days later because of differences in calendar. Some time in history the calendar was changed. Western Christians adopted the new calendar but the Orthodox stayed as a church which was created by Jesus Christ who is also the head of their church. They do not have a Pope like Roman Catholic Christians but are governed by the Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome, Patriarch Bartholomew.
Patriarch Bartholomew occupies the First Throne of the Orthodox Christian Church and presides in a fraternal spirit among all the Orthodox Primates. The Ecumenical Patriarch has the historical and theological responsibility to initiate and coordinate actions among the Churches of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Albania, The Czech Land and Slovakia, Finland, Estonia, and numerous archdioceses in the old and new worlds. This includes the convening of councils or meetings, facilitating inter-church and inter-faith dialogues and serving as the primary expresser of Church unity as a whole. As Ecumenical Patriarch he transcends every national and ethnic group on a global level and today is the spiritual leader of approximately 250 million faithful world-wide.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=248048