Eastern Catholics and the Calendar

[sidbrown]

I had a question concerning whether every Eastern Catholic Church follows the Gregorian calendar and whether they all go by the RC date for Easter. I ask this because there appears to be massive confusion in the Eastern Orthodox Church over what calendar is the “orthodox” calendar approved for use. There are those who follow the old Julian calendar, and there are some Orthodox who follow the Gregorian calendar. And on top of that there is either one or two revised Julian calendars, depending on who you are talking to. Some claim that there is a difference between the revised Julian calendar which was adopted in 1924 and the Serbian revised Julian calendar as proposed by Milankovic. There are differences between the revised Julian, the Milankovic revised Julian and the Gregorian calendar that will show up in about one thousand years or so, which are on top of the great difference between these calendars and the older Julian calendar. In other words, suppose one thousand years from now you were to ask an Eastern Orthodox Christian what day it was. Then you might very well get three different “orthodox” answers. Each Orthodox Christian would insist that he has the right day, but they will each give different “orthodox” answers. And it appears that the calendar question is a theological question for some Orthodox, to the extent that some of the so called Old calendar people will say that if you don’t follow their calendar you are a heretic.
So the question concerns whether all Eastern Catholics follow the Gregorian calendar without exception?

 

[Aramis]

Not all do; some have a mix of Gregorian and non… Some UGCC parishes are old calendar, some new; in at least two eparchies, within the same eparchy!

 

[sidbrown]

Not all do; some have a mix of Gregorian and non… Some UGCC parishes are old calendar, some new; in at least two eparchies, within the same eparchy!

Would these Old Calendar Eastern Catholics consider the calendar to be a serious theological issue?

 

[5Loaves]

So the question concerns whether all Eastern Catholics follow the Gregorian calendar without exception?

No, as** Aramis** has said, we do not. I’m aware of ECC parishes that are on the Gregorian calendar. Mine is not.

My Russian Byzantine Catholic parish follows the Revised Julian Calendar “New Style”. Our yearly wall calendars for home use come from St. Tikhon’s,

 

[dvdjs]

No, as** Aramis** has said, we do not. I’m aware of ECC parishes that are on the Gregorian calendar. Mine is not.

My Russian Byzantine Catholic parish follows the Revised Julian Calendar “New Style”. Our yearly wall calendars for home use come from St. Tikhon’s,

If by calendar, one is referring to months and days, rather than, for example, the sequence of Saint’s days, then the Revised Julian Calendar is the same as the Gregorian calendar until 2799. The date of Easter is another matter altogether.

 

[sidbrown]

If by calendar, one is referring to months and days, rather than, for example, the sequence of Saint’s days, then the Revised Julian Calendar is the same as the Gregorian calendar until 2799. The date of Easter is another matter altogether.

I read that there are actually two revised Julian calendars. But suppose that we only consider the one which was officially approved in 1924. So you have the Julian, the officially approved revised Julian and the Gregorian calendar in use.
Suppose then that in the year 2800 you asked an Eastern Orthodox (or an Eastern Catholic) what day it was. Then you would get three different “orthodox” answers. Each one of the three “orthodox” people would give a different “orthodox” answer as to what day it was with each one insistng that his answer was the “orthodox” one? Something seems to be amiss here.

 

[Aramis]

The primary visible difference between “old” and “new” calendar is the date of Christmas… because it’s already 12 days off from the new. Most feasts are off by the same amount.

The Calculation of Easter/Pascha is another matter entirely, but one which is affected by the calendar chosen.

It’s originally defined as the first Sunday following the first full moon following 20 Mar.

But, given that 20 Mar falls on two different days (three if one includes the Old Julian), there are two (or three) different Sundays for Pascha, except in rare cases.

Further, it’s not the ACTUAL full moon, but a precalculated (and not quite accurate) table formulation for the “Ecclesiastical Full Moon” aka “Pascal Full Moon”.

 

[dvdjs]

The Calculation of Easter/Pascha is another matter entirely, but one which is affected by the calendar chosen.

It’s originally defined as the first Sunday following the first full moon following 20 Mar.

In reality it was set as the first Sunday following the first full moon following the vernal equinox - and originally “vernal equinox” meant the vernal equinox.

 

[sidbrown]

The primary visible difference between “old” and “new” calendar is the date of Christmas… because it’s already 12 days off from the new. Most feasts are off by the same amount.

The Calculation of Easter/Pascha is another matter entirely, but one which is affected by the calendar chosen.

It’s originally defined as the first Sunday following the first full moon following 20 Mar.

But, given that 20 Mar falls on two different days (three if one includes the Old Julian), there are two (or three) different Sundays for Pascha, except in rare cases.

Further, it’s not the ACTUAL full moon, but a precalculated (and not quite accurate) table formulation for the “Ecclesiastical Full Moon” aka “Pascal Full Moon”.

You mention here the ecclesiastical full moon. Why is it necessary or advisable for priests to determine when the “orthodox” full moon occurs when we have so many scientists who can do so more accurately?

 

[Aramis]

You mention here the ecclesiastical full moon. Why is it necessary or advisable for priests to determine when the “orthodox” full moon occurs when we have so many scientists who can do so more accurately?

The reason at the time was standardization upon Jerusalem…the actual full moon can be a day off by visual means, and due to Great Lent, you have to predict it anyway.

It was, for its time, incredibly accurate. 3 days per milenium. More accurate than the calendar it was used with.