Catholic bishops call for united Easter holiday across churches

[5Loaves]

May it be.

November 17, 2011 03:30 PM
The Daily Star
Catholic bishops call for united Easter holiday across churches
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-Palestinian conflict, the Bishops called for a solution on the basis of comprehensive and just peace.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Its time for another Ecumenical Council. Not only for this issue, but the many issues our world faces today.

 

[kitkatty]

I`m all for it!

 

[cradlecatholic5]

I`m all for it!

right w/ you!

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Its time for another Ecumenical Council. Not only for this issue, but the many issues our world faces today.

A real Ecumenical Council.

 

[ConstantineTG]

A real Ecumenical Council.

Yes. I hope the Orthodox are up to it. I think its badly needed.

 

[Alveus_Lacuna]

We tried with you all at Florence, and it’s not happening again.

Those pesky Orthodox are always doing things on their own terms.

 

[ConstantineTG]

We tried with you all at Florence, and it’s not happening again.

Those pesky Orthodox are always doing things on their own terms.

Surely 600 years is enough to leave the ill feelings of the past behind. We don’t even have to discuss unity just yet, there’s other more pressing issues in the world today that needs a definitive statement from the Church.

 

[OrthodoxJosh]

Of course Rome wants us to give up the Patristic Calendar. Guess they don’t realize that our canons forbid it. Then again so do some orthodox. It will NEVER happen.

 

[coco2]

Praying for this and for unity!

 

[friendster324]

Of course Rome wants us to give up the Patristic Calendar. Guess they don’t realize that our canons forbid it. Then again so do some orthodox. It will NEVER happen.

Not necessarily. Dialogue and unity doesn’t always come at the expense of the other in talks with Rome. I see no reason why we couldn’t come to a mutual agreement with one going to the other’s side or coming up with a compromise that is different from both.

 

[Celticnovice]

OrthodoxJosh,

I don’t think Rome is calling for the East to give up its calendar.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Of course Rome wants us to give up the Patristic Calendar. Guess they don’t realize that our canons forbid it. Then again so do some orthodox. It will NEVER happen.

Many Orthodox Churches now use the “Revised Julian Calendar”

 

[louis91766]

We tried with you all at Florence, and it’s not happening again.

Those pesky Orthodox are always doing things on their own terms.

If the Catholic bishops really want a united Easter holiday for all Christians, why don’t they simply accept the Orthodox method of dating Easter and all Christians could go with that?

 

[louis91766]

Of course Rome wants us to give up the Patristic Calendar. Guess they don’t realize that our canons forbid it. Then again so do some orthodox. It will NEVER happen.

This is the reason why the Catholic bishops should simply accept the Orthodox date for Easter, and that would settle the issue of being united with one date for Easter.

 

[OrthodoxJosh]

Many Orthodox Churches now use the “Revised Julian Calendar”

Precisely, my dear friend. Many of our bishops gave up the traditional calendar in their rush to unite themselves with ecumenism. One of the reasons tht I’ve aligned myself with the Old Calendar Greek Church.

 

[hazcompat]

saintelias.com/ca/theologic/anamnesis.php

Come Holy Spirit.

peace

 

[Formosus]

The press statement doesn’t indicate what day they want for pascha. I suspect it will be the Catholics moving back to a “revised julian” dating method.

 

[hazcompat]

What ever date you wish…let us be one as this last Pascha

peace

 

[5Loaves]

Of course Rome wants us to give up the Patristic Calendar. Guess they don’t realize that our canons forbid it. Then again so do some orthodox. It will NEVER happen.

If the Catholic bishops really want a united Easter holiday for all Christians, why don’t they simply accept the Orthodox method of dating Easter and all Christians could go with that?

I don’t know how Rome got into this. It is my assumption that these Catholic bishops of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the Orient are asking for the use of the Julian Calendar.

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.”

I could be mistaken but I believe in these countries their ECCs are using the Julian Calendar date for Pascha.

It may be harder here in the diaspora to get parishes to follow suit but my parish follows the Julian date for Pascha and I know we aren’t the only ECC that does.