The corresponding statement of the pontiff was made during a meeting in Rome dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and Catholic-Orthodox unity, writes Vatican News.
Pope Leo XIV expressed the Catholic Church’s readiness to establish a unified date for celebrating Easter for all Christians. This significant statement was made during a meeting in Rome dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and issues of Catholic-Orthodox unity.
The Pontiff emphasized that there are several possible solutions that could facilitate a joint celebration of the “Feast of Feasts” without violating the principles established by the Council of Nicaea.
“This year, when all Christians celebrate Easter on the same day, I would like to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s openness to seeking an ecumenical solution that would promote a common celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection and thus give greater missionary strength to our proclamation of the name of Jesus and the salvation born of faith in the saving truth of the Gospel.”
– Pope Leo XIV
The Pope also expressed regret that calendar differences prevent Christians from celebrating the most important feast of the liturgical year together. This leads to “pastoral challenges within communities, divides families, and weakens the credibility of our witness to the Gospel.”
Why Different Denominations Celebrate Easter on Different Days
After September 1, 2023, fixed feasts in the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church shifted by 13 days, as the Julian calendar lags behind the Gregorian calendar by the same amount. However, despite this, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the UGCC did not switch to the Gregorian calendar but chose the Revised Julian calendar instead.
The differences between these calendars concern the calculation of Easter’s date. Besides fixed feasts, which are now celebrated simultaneously, there are also movable feasts whose dates depend on the first full moon of spring. Easter, as the principal Christian feast, is determined according to the lunar cycle.
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