Ukrainian Catholics will not change to Gregorian calendar [CWN]

[frjohnmorris]

The current Jewish calendar is between 1600 and 1500 years old. The older calendar was used in the time of Christ. To me it would seem logical that Christians would follow the calendar actually used at the time of Our Lord to calculate the date of Pascha. However, frankly I have always been one who did not really care that much about the calendar questions. I look at the secular calendar to see what day it is and then my service books to see what feast is observed that day.
I personally think that the best compromise is the one reached by the Catholics, Orthodox and other Churches in the Middle East where they use the Gregorian or New Calendar for the fixed feasts like Christmas and the Orthodox calendar for the date of Pascha. The only place that it would make any difference would be scheduling the services in the Church of the Resurrection or as Catholics call it the Holy Sepulcher and the Church of the Nativity.
Frankly, I kind of like having a different day for Pascha because we do not get caught up in all the secularization that has the taken place of Easter as a religious observance in America. We also get to buy our Eastern candies on sale. The focus should be on Christ not the Eastern Bunny, which, after all is a pagan symbol. We never taught our children about the Easter Bunny. Easter eggs are different. The Easter egg symbolizes the ending of the fast, because traditionally one does not eat eggs or any animal product during the Lenten fast. The cracking of the eggs also symbolizes the opening of the tomb of Christ. According to legend St. Mary Magdelene gave a red egg to the emperor of the Roman Empire. The color red obviously symbolizes the blood of Christ that was shed for us on the Cross.

Archpriest John W. Morris

Archpriest John Morris

 

[SyroMalankara]

For Example, see these links - the calendar, even within Judaism, was far from a settled matter:

chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/527614/jewish/Why-are-holidays-celebrated-an-extra-day-in-the-Diaspora.htm

myjewishlearning.com/holidays/About_Holidays/Types_of_Holidays/Length_of_Holidays.shtml

Also Pg 331+:
books.google.com/books?id=IU2Fu11RCvwC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[5Loaves]

Father bless

Therefore, I did not mention the issue of the Revised Julian Calendar because the Revised Julian Calendar is virtually the same as the Gregorian Calendar for the next 800 years.

This is confusing to me. What you describe below is the Revised Julian Calendar, which we follow. It is not the same as the Gregorian.

I personally think that the best compromise is the one reached by the Catholics, Orthodox and other Churches in the Middle East where they use the Gregorian or New Calendar for the fixed feasts like Christmas and the Orthodox calendar for the date of Pascha.

Our parish uses the Revised Julian, that is the Gregorian except that the Paschalion follows the Julian Calendar. I understand that originally our parish was on the old calendar exclusively. I’m not sure when we changed. The “Revised Julian” is what the OCA, Greek Orthodox and Antiochian Orthodox pretty much all use here, The ROCOR here and the one OCA parish in Berkeley follow the Julian.

 

[frjohnmorris]

Father bless

This is confusing to me. What you describe below is the Revised Julian Calendar, which we follow. It is not the same as the Gregorian.

Our parish uses the Revised Julian, that is the Gregorian except that the Paschalion follows the Julian Calendar. I understand that originally our parish was on the old calendar exclusively. I’m not sure when we changed. The “Revised Julian” is what the OCA, Greek Orthodox and Antiochian Orthodox pretty much all use here, The ROCOR here and the one OCA parish in Berkeley follow the Julian.

It is also confusing to me. I have never understood the emotional attachment some people have to the Julian Calendar. I simply cannot see the dogmatic significance over which calendar is used.

Archpriest John W. Morris

 

[5Loaves]

It is also confusing to me. I have never understood the emotional attachment some people have to the Julian Calendar. I simply cannot see the dogmatic significance over which calendar is used.

Archpriest John W. Morris

I meant that your statement confuses me:

Therefore, I did not mention the issue of the Revised Julian Calendar because the Revised Julian Calendar is virtually the same as the Gregorian Calendar for the next 800 years.

What do you mean in saying the Revised Julian Calendar is virtually the same as the Gregorian Calendar when they do not follow the same dates for the whole Paschalion period?

 

[frjohnmorris]

I meant that your statement confuses me:

What do you mean in saying the Revised Julian Calendar is virtually the same as the Gregorian Calendar when they do not follow the same dates for the whole Paschalion period?

Which calendar we use is not mandated by an Ecumenical Council. However, the 1st Ecumenical Council laid down standards for determining the date of Pascha. For that reason, Orthodox do not feel free to change the method of calculating the date of Pascha. The Council gave Alexandria the authority to prepare the charts designating the date of Pascha. Alexandria used a 19 year cycle to determine the date of Pascha. However, Rome used an 84 year cycle until the 6th century, when it adopted the Alexandrian 19 year cycle.

Archpriest John W. Morris

 

[5Loaves]

Which calendar we use is not mandated by an Ecumenical Council. However, the 1st Ecumenical Council laid down standards for determining the date of Pascha. For that reason, Orthodox do not feel free to change the method of calculating the date of Pascha. The Council gave Alexandria the authority to prepare the charts designating the date of Pascha. Alexandria used a 19 year cycle to determine the date of Pascha. However, Rome used an 84 year cycle until the 6th century, when it adopted the Alexandrian 19 year cycle.

Archpriest John W. Morris

I have no idea how that relates to statement in question that

the Revised Julian Calendar is virtually the same as the Gregorian Calendar for the next 800 years.

The two calendars are simply different.

 

[frjohnmorris]

QUOTE: What do you mean in saying the Revised Julian Calendar is virtually the same as the Gregorian Calendar when they do not follow the same dates for the whole Paschalion period.END QUOTE

Perhaps I should have expressed myself more clearly. For the feasts that are celebrated on fixed dates the two Revised Julian Calendar is the same as the Gregorian Calendar until 2800.
The First Ecumenical Council ruled that Pascha should fall on the Sunday following the first full moon following the Spring Equinox. Because the Council also declared that Christians must not celebrate Pascha at the time of the Jewish Passover, the traditional Eastern understanding is that Pascha must also follow the Jewish Passover. It is possible to celebrate Pascha before or during the Jewish Passover according to the Gregorian Calendar.
Although both are observable astronomical events, both the Julian and Gregorian Calendars set the date of Pascha according to Mathematical calculations not the actual Spring Equinox and actual full moon. Both calendars designate March 21 as the date of the Spring Equinox. However, sometimes the Spring Equinox falls on March 20 according to the Julian Calendar. Therefore neither calendar is completely accurate when the actual astronomical events are considered.
As I wrote earlier, I find the whole thing confusing. I have never understood the emotional attachment that some Orthodox have for the Julian Calendar.

Archpriest John W. Morris

 

[5Loaves]

QUOTE: What do you mean in saying the Revised Julian Calendar is virtually the same as the Gregorian Calendar when they do not follow the same dates for the whole Paschalion period.END QUOTE

Perhaps I should have expressed myself more clearly. For the feasts that are celebrated on fixed dates the two Revised Julian Calendar is the same as the Gregorian Calendar until 2800.

Thank you, Father. That is a quite different statement from the origional, and is correct, tho I think that “two” doesn’t belong in there, maybe an edit that didn’t get completed.

 

[frjohnmorris]

Thank you, Father. That is a quite different statement from the origional, and is correct, tho I think that “two” doesn’t belong in there, maybe an edit that didn’t get completed.

You are right. I am not that great a typist, especially on the laptop that I use at home. I do much better on the desk top in my office.

Archpriest John W. Morris