In the very important book, The Real Truth Concerning the Ecclesiastical Calendar, which was written by the Fighter for the Patristic Calendar, Gregorios Efstratiadis (+1950), lawyer-publisher-politician, and published in Athens in 1929, in order, among other things, to confront the unsound arguments of the New Calendarists, that their Innovation does not oppose the Dogma and the Tradition of the Church, nor does it harm Her Unity, it is also emphasized the great truth that the Holy Synods of the Church aimed at the Unity in Truth of the local Churches, and this is the greatest Dogma and the most imperative Definition and Canon of theirs, as well as the principal reason for their convocation.
And indeed, not only with regard
to the Feast of Feasts, Holy Pascha, but also concerning the other Feasts,
Fasts, and in general the things handed down by the Apostles and the Holy
Fathers, all the Synods aimed that these be celebrated in common by all the
Local Churches. For this reason, the unilateral change of the Ecclesiastical
Calendar in 1924 by the Church of Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople came into conflict with this purpose of the unity of the local
Churches and violated the Canons and Definitions of the Ecumenical Councils,
which were established precisely for the Unity of the One, Holy, Catholic, and
Apostolic Church (see p. 89 of the aforementioned work).
The interest and purpose of the
Synods, Efstratiadis emphasizes, was not only for the common celebration of the
Feast of Pascha, but also for all the Feasts which are connected with it, as
well as for the so-called immovable Feasts — and especially for Christmas — as
well as for the Fasts of the ecclesiastical year. The reference to Pascha
pertains not only narrowly to what is related to it, but to the entire Typikon
order, which depends upon it and has as its basis the Calendar of the Church,
because to this the Paschalion of the Church, the Menaion, the
Fasts, and the Cycle of the Gospel readings are adapted. Therefore, whoever
disturbs this Typikon order of the Church, which is fundamentally
disturbed by the change of the Calendar, inevitably violates the Canons of the
Church, the purpose of which is the safeguarding of the Unity of the Church
(see pp. 89–90).
The provisions that were
established concerning Pascha, especially by the First Ecumenical Council and
by the Tradition of the Church, did not have as their purpose the determination
of the precise astronomical equinox at a specific time, but aimed that it be
celebrated by all Orthodox Christians everywhere on one and the same Sunday, so
that the one faith and unanimous piety might be preserved, [and to avoid the
co-celebration with the Jews or with the heterodox, we would also add], and
that there might not exist any disagreement concerning this Feast, since the
Catholic Church of the Savior Christ is one, and therefore it is entirely
improper that, on the same days, some should be fasting and others celebrating
with rejoicing (see p. 95).
Upon this noteworthy line of
reasoning, the ever-memorable Gregorios Efstratiadis continues his work, with
the skill and profundity that distinguished this excellent apologist of Genuine
Orthodoxy, enlightening even us today in a timely manner in confronting the
unacceptable sophistries of the Innovating New Calendarists–Ecumenists, writing
also the following important points:
But it concerns
the Feast of Pascha [the decision of the First Ecumenical Council], the
Innovators will answer us together with the Archbishop of Athens [Chrysostomos
Papadopoulos], and we did not innovate concerning Pascha. No, we reply. This is
Pharisaism and sophistry. When an Ecumenical Council ordains that the purpose
of the determination of Pascha is so that the various Churches may not disagree
and so that, when some are celebrating, the others may not be fasting—when,
that is, the Ecumenical Council establishes the Unity of the One, Holy,
Catholic, and Apostolic Church and enjoins unanimity within Her—when such is
said to have been the purpose of the Canons of the Ecumenical Council, this
purpose exists for every common feast, for every common fast.
Nor was it
possible to be understood that the First Ecumenical Council limited the
necessity of the unity of the Church only to the Feast of Pascha and that it
was indifferent to disagreement concerning other feasts and other fasts.
Therefore, if there was an affront to the decisions and Canons of the First
Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, insofar as the Feast of Pascha was altered and
division and disagreement arose among the Churches concerning the day of
Pascha, the same affront to the ordinances of that same Ecumenical Council
exists also when, through the change of the Ecclesiastical Calendar,
disagreement and division of the Churches arises concerning the celebration of
any other feast, particularly the feast of Christmas, the feast of Theophany,
the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, the Holy Apostles, etc. And then
likewise is the unity of the Churches offended, and it was precisely for this
unity that the Fathers of the Church were concerned, a unity which is shattered
and broken by the change of the Ecclesiastical Calendar, decided unilaterally
with such frivolity and such lack of Ecclesiastical conscience.
And that the
Ecumenical Councils did not look exclusively to the Feast of Pascha, but had in
view all the feasts and the fasts, and for all demanded unity and unanimity, is
demonstrated, apart from the above-mentioned Synodal decision, apart from the
letter of Emperor Constantine [these are texts which had been cited earlier by
the author], also by the following:
From the letter
of Saint Athanasius the Great, who—being then a Deacon—participated in the
Council in Nicaea, which letter he addressed to the African Bishops and in
which he says: "…For it (the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea) was
convened on account of the Arian heresy and on account of Pascha. Because those
in Syria and Cilicia and Mesopotamia were differing from us and, at the time
when the Jews were celebrating, they also were doing likewise. But thanks be to
the Lord, just as concerning the faith, so also concerning the holy feast there
came to be agreement. And this was the cause of the Council in Nicaea."
The agreement,
therefore, of the Church was the reason for the Council in Nicaea, also
according to Saint Athanasius the Great. And if concerning any other feast
there had arisen disagreement, as concerning Pascha, an Ecumenical Council
would likewise have been convened concerning that. For this reason, primarily,
the Councils and their ordinances aimed to secure ecclesiastical unity through
common agreement.
That the Fathers
regarded also the other Feasts of the Lord in the same manner as that of Pascha
was stated by [Saint] John Chrysostom.
From the Homily
of John Chrysostom to Blessed Philogonius (Homily III), speaking concerning the
Feast of Christmas, which he calls "the Metropolis of all feasts,"
and he says concerning it:
"For from
this feast, Theophany and holy Pascha and the Ascension and Pentecost received
their beginning and foundation. For if Christ had not been born according to
the flesh, He would not have been baptized, which is Theophany; He would not
have been crucified, which is Pascha; He would not have sent down the Spirit,
which is Pentecost. Therefore, from this, as from a certain source, various
rivers flowing forth, these feasts have been appointed for us."
If such is considered
by the Fathers of the Church the Feast of Christmas, how was it permitted that
there be disagreement among the Churches concerning it, and how is it that only
for Pascha would Ecumenical Councils be convened? And since their ordinances
were made so that unity concerning the feasts might be secured, how is it that,
concerning the Feast of Pascha, we consider the alteration to be forbidden by
the Canons, but concerning the Feast of Christmas and the others, which the
change of the Calendar shifted by thirteen days, we consider it not to be in
conflict with the Canons of the Councils? Since the spirit of the Canons
concerning the Feast of Pascha is that there be unanimity among the Churches
concerning the day of all the feasts, how then is the Calendar change not
uncanonical, by which some Churches celebrate the feasts of Christmas,
Theophany, etc., on one day, and others celebrate them on another day?
The Fathers of
the Church, therefore, attributed the highest importance to Her Unity and
proclaimed as a foremost Dogma the agreement of all in the matters of the
performance of external Worship. (pp. 95–98)
As becomes immediately evident
and understandable, the Calendar Innovation conflicts with the letter and
especially with the spirit of the holy Canons of the Church concerning
unanimity and agreement in the celebration of the entire festal cycle of the Church,
as is demonstrated with such clarity by the Confessor of the Faith Gregorios
Efstratiadis, revealing the enormous error and responsibility of the
Innovators, who gravely harmed the external expression of the Dogma of the
Unity of the Church. The fact that they dare to celebrate Christmas together
with the Heterodox, separating themselves from the Festal Tradition of the
Church, which prescribes the celebration of Saint Spyridon on that day and the
continuation of the blessed period of Fasting in view of the great Feast of the
Christmas of the Orthodox, manifests the chasm which separates them from
Orthodoxy and their continual preference and sin to apostatize, rejoicing in
Ecumenistic fashion together with the enemies of God in a far country! May God
grant them repentance and return!
+E.G.K.
December 12/25, 2017
Saint Spyridon of Trimythous
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