Ukrainian Orthodoxy Orthodoxie ukrainienne

Julian Calendar

Commentary: 

M. Oreskovic mporeskovic@look.ca

I've just finished going through your web page regarding the calculation of the date of Easter.  I am curious why the Eastern church continues to use the inaccurate Julian calendar.  The more I look into this issue of the less I understand.  Please consider my understanding of this issue.

The First Ecumenical Council decided that Easter should fall on the Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox (and after Passover).  At that time the vernal equinox was on March 21(Julian).   The question then is; when is the vernal equinox now?  It is when it is.  It is indeed observable, and it is very close to March 21(Gregorian), and in the year 325 is was also on March 21 (Julian).   It is however not on March 21 (Julian) now, as the Julian Calendar has drifted by some 13 days.

I therefore contend that Easter should be observed after the full moon after the equinox, (and not after March 21 Julian as this is no longer the equinox).  The calendar dates of the full moon and of the equinox are irrelevant, and they differ from calendar to calendar.  If church officials would bother to looked look up at sun (to observe the equinox) they would all see it on the same day and celebrate Easter on the same day.

Accepting this, I would further contend that there is nothing holy about the calendar (Julian or Gregorian).  The Gregorian calendar is an adjusted Julian calendar.  Neither calendar is particularly Christian as they were created by a Roman Caesar.  Neither Julius Caesar, nor his calendar, knew anything of Christianity or God.  Nor did Jesus know much about Julius' calendar.

The Calendar is not the issue.  The calendar does not define Christianity.  It is a timekeeping device not unlike the watch on one's wrist.  Like the wristwatch when it runs too fast or too slow it needs to be adjusted.  The western church made such an adjustment with the aim of bringing the equinox back to March 21.   God would no be offended.
Reply:  

Dr. Alexander Roman alex@unicorne.org

The Gregorian calendar is now too acknowledged to be "off" in strict scientific terms and, on that basis alone, both calendars would require updating.

However, the First Council ALSO added a further requirement for the calculation of Pascha and that is that Pascha/Easter must come AFTER the celebration of the Jewish Passover, in accordance with the New Testament witness to the events of Holy Week.

The Gregorian calendar was developed in the spirit of rational science only. It completely ignored this canonical requirement of the First Council.

As we saw this year, the eight day Passover and the Western Easter were celebrated at one and the same time, while the original Pascha, the Pascha of the once united Church, East and West, was celebrated following Passover.

There are Orthodox Churches today that do indeed follow a "Reformed Julian" calendar and celebrate the Feast of the Nativity on December 25th according to the Gregorian calendar rather than January 7th.

However, they continue to adhere to the calculation of Orthodox Pascha for the simple reason that to do otherwise would be to break the canonical rules established by the First Ecumenical Council in this regard.

If there is ever to be a new calendar for all the Churches that they would agree to, there is no question but that Orthodoxy would insist on ensuring that the rule governing the celebration of Pascha AFTER the celebration of Passover is completed is upheld.

 

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