Catholic bishops call for united Easter holiday across churches

November 17, 2011
The Daily Star
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-N...x#ixzz1dyfsFtY3

BKIRKI, Lebanon: Catholic bishops in the Orient called Thursday for a common Easter holiday across the Christian churches to boost unity within the religion.

The exact date of Easter changes from year-to-year based on the movement of the moon, and is determined using different calendars by the Eastern Orthodox and Western Christian churches.

The call came at the end of a conference of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the Orient which kicked off in Bkirki Monday.

Participants at the conference under Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai discussed means to implement the recommendations of a Synod convened last year that focused on the situation of Christians in the Levant.

Among the recommendations was “a serious attempt to unite the Easter Holiday for all churches and to find ways of guaranteeing the implementation of this urgent request by all Christians, especially in our Eastern countries, just as is the case in Egypt, Jordan and Palestine.”

The bishops also called on Christians to “hold onto their land and the sacred places in their historical homelands.”

“Have faith in the future,” the bishops pleaded in the wake of the current regional unrest.

They emphasized the need for national dialogue, respect for human rights and national reconciliation.

In an indirect reference to the uprisings in the Arab world, the Synod called for “cooperation with the moderate forces in our societies to broaden national participation.”

Regarding the Israeli-Palestine conflict, the Bishops called for a solution on the basis of comprehensive and just peace.

I'm for it. Go Julian.

I'll take Julian Easter if I can get a Gregorian Christmas.

If we go Julian, Easter will end up in the middle of summer eventually.

Go Gregorian!

Alexis

I know, but it would have broken Fr. Serge's heart to go Gregorian. But mixed calendar work for me: Julian Paschalion, Gregorian for fixed feasts. That almost totally eliminates the possibility of Annunciation falling in Lent.

And there is always the alternative of having the Emperor order an intercalation to bring the Julian calendar back into alignment with the seasons. As I said, I'm available if you need an emperor. Just call--I'll be home reading my copy of de Officionis

Sorry, but it has to be Julian. There can be NO compromise.

How about settings the calendars aside and performing the astronomical calculations prescribed by Nicea?

I don't really understand how not being a few days out of step with the civil calendar entails compromise, so I'm all for Gregorian. As a side effect, going Gregorian seems to have the side-effect of directing some of the crazier people in one's denomination to the Old Calendarists (not saying Old Calendarists are all crazy, but they all seem to be more accommodating of it ;)).

I think Fr David summed it up nicely.

http://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/312635/Re:%20Common%20Easter%20date?#Post312635

"All this would mean is that the Orthodox would start observing the Latin date of Easter over 99 times out of 100. They would never again observe the traditional Orthodox date. A non-starter, I'm afraid, from the beginning.

If Catholics want a unity of celebration in the date of Easter, I'm afraid the only solution is to "condescend" to their "weaker" brethren and accept the "scientifically inaccurate" Julian Calendar based Orthodox reckoning. Can they humble themselves? The Orthodox, I believe, will not accept a change themselves.

Fr David Straut"


Alexandr

Then again, what about them pesky Greek Catholics who follow the Julian Calendar. Not all Catholics celebrate Pascha on the Gregorian Calendar. Que Dramatic music!

So I don't see why the Latin Church couldn't return to the Julian date for Pascha.

As far as the "Old Calendarists" go, I'd sooner associate with the most rabid Matthewite than with the likes of revisionists such as Fr. Eusebius Stephanou, or Archbishop Iakovos or Patriarchs Meletius IV (Metaxakis} or Athenagoras (Spyrou), just as I'm sure that most Catholics on this board would relate better to the most die hard Feenyite as opposed to those portions of the clergy supporting clown Masses and so forth.

Remember, the crazies will keep you sane.

Alexandr

Also remember, there would be NO Old Calendarists or SSPX'ers if there wasn't something wrong in the first place.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Synod is looking to utilize the Julian date for Pascha, at very least in their historical territories. as most of their jurisdictions already do in Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan.

I'm not sure that they would anticipate it being an easy sell in their diasporal jurisdictions, where they would be out of step with the civil calendars, the majority Latin Catholics, Walmart, Hallmark, and the Easter Bunny. However, they might be braver than I give them credit for.

Many years,

Neil

I'm not sure that that logic holds particularly well. You could use it, for example, to argue for Donatism or Lutheranism, both of which wouldn't have rocked up if "there hadn't been something wrong in the first place."

I find the whole calendar issue a bit weird; isn't Christ everywhere and in all places anyway?