Signed by 10 individuals, the statement calls for calendar reform and decisions made by individual autocephalous churches rather than a pan-Orthodox consensus while raising pastoral concerns for diaspora in the West.
Aaron Hickman
FEB. 26, 2026 — A group of
Orthodox clergy and theologians led by Fr. John Chryssavgis — a clergyman of
the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and advisor to the Ecumenical
Patriarchate — has issued a statement [see below] urging renewed efforts toward
a common date for Easter between Orthodox and Western Christians. Meeting in
January 2025 at Holy Cross School of Theology, they reflected on the 1700th
anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and argued that the Orthodox Church’s
continued use of the Julian calendar results in an increasingly inaccurate
calculation of Pascha, diverging from Nicaea’s original norms.
Citing pastoral, educational, and
ecumenical concerns, the statement says that the Orthodox Church’s
"current method of calculating the date of Pascha is no longer
consistently faithful to the Nicaean norms. Continuing to apply this method
will over time result in Orthodox Easter falling much later in the solar year.
Renewed efforts are vital for the Orthodox Churches to calculate more
accurately the date of Easter so that the Orthodox paschalion adheres to
the Nicaean formula that the Orthodox Church professes as normative. Failure to
do so will over time result in Western and Eastern Christians never celebrating
Easter together."
The statement identified
inter-Orthodox divisions, lack of education on the calendar issue, and
hierarchical inertia as what the signees see as major obstacles to reform. It
also emphasized the pastoral consequences of separate Easter celebrations,
particularly in North America, where mixed marriages between Orthodox and other
Christians are common.
Rather than calling for immediate
pan-Orthodox action, the signatories proposed local and educational initiatives
within individual jurisdictions, encouraging clergy and hierarchs to foster
open discussion and provide information about the history and calculation of
Pascha. They framed the pursuit of a common Easter date as a pastoral
responsibility and a tangible step toward honoring the spirit of Nicaea while
strengthening Christian unity.
"Much misinformation begs to
be addressed, in particular why the celebration of Pascha must follow the
Jewish Passover, why the Julian Calendar is incorrect for identifying the
spring equinox, whether the Orthodox Church has always observed a common date,
and whether our identity as Orthodox requires us always to be different or
separate from all other Christian confessions," the statement reads.
Those who signed the statement
are:
- Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Professor of Theology,
Holy Cross School of Theology; Exec. Director, Huffington Ecumenical
Institute at HCHC (HEI)
- Rev. Robert M. Arida, Dean Emeritus of Holy Trinity
Cathedral (Boston, MA), Advisory Board Member (HEI))
- Rev. Dr. Radu Bordeianu, Professor of Theology and
Director of Graduate Studies, Duquesne University
- Dr. George Demacopoulos, Fr. John Meyendorff &
Patterson Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies, Fordham University
- Rev. Dr. John H. Erickson, Gramowich Professor
Emeritus and former Dean, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.
- Dr. John Fotopoulos, Chair and Associate Professor,
Department of Religious Studies and Theology, Saint Mary’s College (Notre
Dame, IN)
- Rev. Dr. Philip Halikias, HCHC Administrator and
Adjunct Professor of Ecumenical Relations and Advisory Board Member (HEI)
- Rev. John Maheras, Ecumenical Officer for the
Metropolis of Boston (ret.)
- Rev. Dr. Harry Pappas, Presiding Priest at Archangels
Greek Orthodox Church (Stamford, CT) and Executive Board Member (HEI)
- Rev. Dr. Anthony Roeber, Professor of Church History,
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
Previously, the UOJ reported that
Patr. Bartholomew and Pope Leo prayed together and signed a joint declaration
at the Phanar.
Source:
***
Toward a common date of Easter
Fr. John Chryssavgis
| February 25, 2026
Just two months ago, at the end
of November, global news organizations paid attention — like Christians from
various traditions — as His Holiness Pope Leo and His All-Holiness Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew met in Türkiye to mark the 1700th anniversary of the
First Council of Nicaea. Although commentators predictably focused on the
recitation of the Nicaean-Constantinopolitan Creed by both hierarchs as
historically significant, at the level of everyday Christian life, another
issue is actually of more importance and has been discussed by leaders of the
two churches.
Indeed, the First Ecumenical
Council held in Nicaea in 325AD laid down the objective and the method for
determining the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ for all Christians.
To this end, a group of theologians met in Boston at the invitation of the
Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Holy Cross School of Theology with a view to
looking beyond the recitation of the Creed and drawing the attention of both
Orthodox and Catholic Christians to the issue of the calendar and the most
accurate evidence we have of how, when, and why Pascha, or the celebration of
Easter should occur.
The statement they adopted, that
follows here, begins by noting that the Council of Nicaea decreed that Pascha
is to be celebrated universally on the first Sunday following the first spring
(vernal) full moon. But as everyone knows, Christians of the Western tradition
and those of the Orthodox East only occasionally celebrate on the same Sunday.
The Statement, intended as an educational tool, attempts to provide a concise
account of why the calendar issue has not been resolved, proposing concrete
steps that can be taken, especially here in North America, to move toward a
resolution. It is a subject of growing interest not only among so-called
ecumenical marriages and families, but also for those committed to the genuine
mind of the patristic tradition. We hope that readers across all levels —
clergy and parishioners, as well as seminarians and faithful — will study and
reflect on this statement.
A Statement by Orthodox Clergy
and Theologians
On January 24, 2025, at the
initiative and invitation of the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at HCHC, a
group of Orthodox Christian theologians from across the United States met at
Holy Cross Orthodox School of Theology for a colloquium to discuss various
issues related to a common date for the celebration of Easter. The
statement builds on the occasion last year marking the 1700th anniversary
of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea that laid down the objective and
method for determining the celebration of the Feast of the Resurrection.
Celebrating Pascha Today
That first Ecumenical Council of
Nicaea decreed that Easter is to be celebrated universally on the first Sunday
following the first spring (vernal) full moon. The coincidence of these
historic celebrations provided a unique platform to reflect on our often-fractious
past and a rare invitation to explore a number of related issues.
It would be tempting, albeit
illusory, to compare the challenges facing Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches
at the beginning of the twenty-first century with those facing the Council of
Nicaea in the early fourth century. Scholars across religious traditions and
academic disciplines have offered a deeper understanding and appreciation of
the rich diversity that characterized pre-Nicaean Christianity, including on
the question of the celebration of Easter.
An Ecumenical Council
Theologians have alerted us to an
unintended consequence of the Council of Nicaea’s efforts to establish unity in
its commemoration. The council was ecumenical in two senses. On the one hand,
from an historical perspective, Nicaea was an imperial council, summoned by the
emperor for the sake of advancing the empire’s unity. On the other hand, from a
theological perspective, the Church received the council as charismatically
expressing its mind under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit,
destined to advance the Church’s mission in the broader world.
Through the centuries, whether in
the East or West, the relationship between civil and ecclesiastical authority
was collaborative and symbiotic, although not uncomplicated or
undisputed. Today, we live in a post-Constantinian era, even if some remain
beguiled by nostalgia for imperial structures that once sheltered us, but which
invariably also stifled our capacity for adaptation. Today, we are invited to
imagine a post-imperial church, not as a grandiose monolith, but as intimate
and interactive as an extended household.
Ecumenical Impetus
The ecumenical movement of the
twentieth century encouraged Orthodox involvement in efforts to search for a
common date for Pascha. The 1997 Aleppo Statement was arguably the most
noteworthy and groundbreaking such achievement. In the twenty-first century,
with the global expansion of Christianity, Orthodox Christians are invited to
explore not only the ecumenical significance of a search for a common
celebration of Easter, but also its interfaith implications and consequences.
Moreover, it is time to consider our relationship with fellow Christians in the
developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, and elsewhere in
what used to be called the Third World.
In their encounter with people of
different religions and cultures, Orthodox Christians in Western nations have
become more tolerant and respectful. In these encounters, they have also
learned to avoid communicating with an air of superiority or colonialism.
However, given this ecumenical and interfaith impetus, why has the search for a
common celebration of Easter not yielded fruit?
1.
First, inter-Orthodox discord has proved a major factor, and this division has
become increasingly conspicuous in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
2.
Second, the absence of education on the subject is lamentable. Here it should
be added that education involves not just a final product but also an ongoing
process. It is through mutual engagement that we ultimately learn and
grow. Only by engaging in dialogue with the broader society and culture do
we come to appreciate the principles of adaptation.
3.
Third, as Orthodox Christians, we are accustomed to a top-down approach to
authority in the Church, although this approach is far less effective than in
the Constantinian age. While, over the centuries, the institutions of imperial
Christianity became more embedded in and wedded to authority, wealth, and
dominance, the Church’s lived history and theology were nourished by the
faithful worship and witness of ordinary Christians. Therefore, amore communal,
local approach would be more constructive and productive in considering such
issues related to calendar.
We must be be [sic] more
demanding of ourselves in our commitment as disciples of Christ. Ecclesial
unity requires more than simply synchronous liturgical observance. It involves
sustained humility and charity. It manifests as constant openness to and
encounter with others, sharing in their joys and sorrows, on a mutual basis.
Only in this way can we fittingly celebrate together the paschal victory of the
incarnate, crucified, and risen Word of God.
Nicaean Norms
In an effort to promote Christian
unity and avoid unreliable calculations of the spring full moon, the First
Ecumenical Council at Nicaea in AD 325 issued a normative formula for the
calculation of Pascha on the basis of scientific learning of the time. The
council determined that Easter should occur on the first Sunday after the first
full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox. This Nicaean norm for the
calculation resolved that Easter would be closely associated but not dependent
upon the Jewish Passover that depends upon where in the world one sights the
spring full moon (i.e., 14th of Nisan). By resolving that the Christian
celebration of Easter would occur annually on the first Sunday after the first
full moon on or after the spring equinox, Nicaea ensured that Easter would only
take place once each solar year. Today, Orthodox, Catholics, and most
Christians accept these Nicaean norms for the calculation of the date of
Easter.
However, divergences in the date
of the celebration of Easter continue to occur because the Orthodox Church’s
calculation of Easter uses the increasingly inaccurate Julian Calendar
(currently 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar) and a “fixed” Julian Calendar
date of March 21 (Gregorian Calendar, April 3) as the spring equinox, when in
fact the actual spring equinox occurs between thirteen to fifteen days
earlier. The Orthodox Church also uses a mathematically calculated
approximation for the first full moon of spring based on the nineteen-year
Metonic lunar cycle.
Inasmuch as the Orthodox method
of implementing the Nicaean formula will become increasingly inaccurate,
Orthodox Easter will increasingly be celebrated out of step with the expected
Nicaean norms. For example, the West will celebrate Easter on March 28th in
2027 (on the Gregorian Calendar), a date which is consistent with the Nicaean
formula; by contrast, most Orthodox will celebrate Easter May 2nd, a date which
is actually the second Sunday after the second full
moon after the spring equinox.
The Orthodox Church’s current
method of calculating the date of Pascha is no longer consistently faithful to
the Nicaean norms. Continuing to apply this method will over time result in
Orthodox Easter falling much later in the solar year. Renewed efforts are vital
for the Orthodox Churches to calculate more accurately the date of Easter so
that the Orthodox paschalion adheres to the Nicaean formula
that the Orthodox Church professes as normative. Failure to do so will over
time result in Western and Eastern Christians never celebrating Easter
together.
Ecumenical and Pastoral
Implications
Unifying the body of Christ
temporally can also contribute to alleviating some of the burdens within the
family (i.e., the home church).
To give one example: the majority
of Greek Orthodox in North America marry Catholic and Protestant partners
outside the church. Neither the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese nor any other
Orthodox body can ignore this issue or expect it not to impact the spiritual
lives of our faithful. Any fragmentation of the family is unacceptable, and
conversion to one or the other communion, even when it occurs, cannot account
for the extended family of the non-Orthodox spouse. Embracing humility and
raising awareness are the most fruitful ways of moving beyond ignorance, or
indifference, ignorance, and condescensionon [sic] issues related to
calendar questions and the calculation of Easter. This is especially pertinent
in the case of “ecumenical families,” where children cannot commune or
celebrate with both parents.
What has been done to address
this issue as it affects homes and families? In its efforts to demonstrate
pastoral care for spouses and children of “ecumenical families,” in 2024 the
North American Orthodox Catholic Dialogue issued a statement, entitled “The
Pastoral Care of Mixed Marriages: Neither Yours nor Mine, but Ours,” which was
endorsed by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the United States of
America and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Two of the
recommendations are:
1.
That both churches exercise joint responsibility for the pastoral care of
spouses and children in a spirit of love and mutual respect.
2.
That the spouses maintain mutual recognition of their shared life in Christ and
support of one another on the way towards salvation as a foundation of their
marital unity.
In light of and in addition to
these recommendations, clergy are responsible for ensuring that couples receive
the necessary pastoral support for navigating the challenging landscape of
marriage and family. The support of priest and community will prove immensely
helpful in healing family conflict.
A positive step in this direction
would be an acknowledgement of the pastoral and ecumenical dimensions in
securing a common date for the celebration of Easter. This would in turn
restore faith in parishioners struggling to live Christian marriages and nurture
Christian families within a secular society in a more visible way that
signals our common desire to advance Christian unity by coming together on the
most important Christian feast of the year.
A Local Approach
Orthodox Christians in what some
persist in calling the “diaspora” feel the pain of celebrating Pascha
separately from Catholic and Protestant Christians more acutely than Orthodox
living in countries where the Eastern Orthodox comprise the majority of the
population. However, this reality has the potential to be a blessing in
disguise as an appeal of those jurisdictions to their Mother Churches to show
pastoral care for all the faithful living in North America regardless of
“jurisdiction.”
In supporting Orthodox Christians
of its jurisdiction in North America to celebrate Pascha according to the rules
established at the Council of Nicaea and accurate astronomical realities, the
Ecumenical Patriarchate, for example, would not require the consent or
corroboration of other autocephalous churches. The dilemma of what to do with
the calendar is and never has been doctrinal, but purely pastoral, even in the
effort to honor the norms laid down by Nicaea, although it is clear that the
Julian Calendar fails to meet the criteria of Nicaea.
The latest attempt to address
this issue was at the Holy and Great Council of Crete (2016), which
unfortunately removed from its agenda the item regarding calendar, given the
inability of the entire Orthodox world to address this issue with any reasonable
consensus, let alone unanimity. In this context, the autocephalous churches
that do not participate in pan-Orthodox gatherings find themselves in a
position that is less relevant in attempting to prevent other autocephalous
churches from acting out of pastoral concern for their faithful in the West.
This is an internal, local issue—pertaining to each autocephalous church—and
not a matter for pan-Orthodox agreement.
Moreover, there are historical
precedents that dispel exaggerated fears promulgated in certain circles. For
example, with the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Church of
Finland celebrates Pascha according to the rule of the First Ecumenical Council
by using the Gregorian Calendar.
Certain ertain [sic]
jurisdictions in the United States, such as the Carpatho–Russian diocese in the
United States and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA (both under the
Ecumenical Patriarchate), have allowed their parishes to choose between the two
calendars on fixed feasts.
Despite the above-mentioned
exceptions, Orthodox unity has not been ruptured. Even where there has been a
diverse pastoral reality at the parish level, this has not been perceived as a
threat to the unity of the diocese. Indeed, for over a century, the Orthodox
have not regarded the existence of two distinct and separate calendars (Julian
and Gregorian) as threats to its unity.
Educational
Perspectives
Orthodox Christians aware of the
current rumors about a common date for Easter labor under a disadvantage. For
many reasons, myths, misunderstandings, and fears continue to obscure the
existing basis for discussing a common date.
The Aleppo Agreement—produced
nearly thirty years ago by an international group of Orthodox, Catholic and
Protestant participants—remains the best approach for discussing the
inconsistencies of the calendar and the calculation of Easter. In addition, the
Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA), the predecessor of
the current Assembly of Orthodox Bishops, asked the Orthodox Theological
Society in America (OTSA) to assess the Agreement and submit its recommendation
to the hierarchs. Furthermore, OTSA endorsed the Agreement, urging the bishops
to launch a program for educating clergy, monastics, and laity about what a
“common date” of Easter would entail for Orthodox Christians.
Unfortunately, no such education
was ever undertaken. Yet, a “common date” of Easter is more important now than
a generation earlier, especially in North America. Marriages between Eastern
Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, and non-Christians
continue to increase in number and frequency. Expecting families to negotiate
two observances of Lent, Christmas, Pascha, and other markers of the Christian
life does not support or strengthen marriage, which is already in decline as an
institution. For pastoral reasons, we urge the hierarchs of the Assembly
of Bishops (potentially with the concurrence of the Oriental Orthodox
hierarchs) to foster discussion of issues related to the celebration and
date of Easter, both among themselves and within their jurisdictions, in order
to clarify misconceptions and preconceptions.
Much misinformation begs to be
addressed, in particular why the celebration of Pascha must follow the Jewish
Passover, why the Julian Calendar is incorrect for identifying the spring
equinox, whether the Orthodox Church has always observed a common date, and
whether our identity as Orthodox requires us always to be different or separate
from all other Christian confessions.
Given the exceptionally high
number of “ecumenical marriages” in the United States, as well as the
overwhelmingly interfaith context within which Orthodox Christians live and
work each day, parish clergy are in a position to seize the moment and share with
baptized members and catechumens the fruits of significant resources and
ecumenical dialogues that explain the origin, diversity, and development of the
central Feast of Pascha.
Educational resources would
include the decisions of local and universal councils as well as contemporary
documents, including the Pan-Orthodox Council of 1923, the Pre-Conciliar
Conferences of Chambésy from 1971, the Aleppo Agreement of 1997, the North American
Orthodox–Roman Catholic Agreed Statement of 2023, and the Inter-Orthodox
Statement of 2024 in Egypt.
Honoring Nicaea
This statement seeks to encourage
open and frank discussion—uninhibited by fear and prejudice—about the
lamentable lack of unity among Christians in celebrating the most important
feast of the Resurrection of Christ together. If the question has not been
resolved through official hierarchy or theological dialogue, this does not mean
it does not deserve to remain at the forefront of our commitment and
conversation. If the question of a joint celebration of Easter is not on the
agenda for Autocephalous Orthodox or Mother Churches, where Orthodox
Christianity is either a greater majority or a comfortable presence in the
wider population, this does not mean it cannot be considered for the benefit of
minority Orthodox Churches in the so-called Diaspora. If we are still far from
achieving theological or sacramental unity with our Roman Catholic and
Protestant brothers and sisters on the level of doctrine and the eucharist,
this does not mean we cannot pursue greater cooperation and cohesion as fellow
Christians by sharing the celebration of major feast days, especially
Easter.
Pursuing a common celebration of
Easter constitutes a tangible way of honoring educating God’s people, raising
awareness on issues related to a common date of Easter and providing care to
married couples and families who deal with the practical consequences of
celebrating the most important feast of the year on different days.
Parish clergy will naturally seek
the blessing of their diocesan hierarch in order to enter into a process that
is best done in collaboration with other Orthodox clergy in their geographic
area, beginning with their own jurisdiction but also reaching out to include
others. The educational process should begin with consent from the parish
council and broaden to ministry leadership before being incorporated into
sermons, bible studies, catechism classes, or special events. Such occasions
could involve visiting clergy and theologians on the topic for the sake of
inspiring congregations and communities, and the equally important task of
providing the proper education on this issue in Orthodox seminaries, centers,
and schools.
The ultimate goal would echo what
existed in the earliest centuries—namely, diversity in unity—since no parish
should in any way be coerced. However, the effort to educate and celebrate a
common date of Easter is an essential pastoral task and ecumenical mandate that
can enable Orthodox Christians to realize deeper unity while in fact moving
closer to Nicaean norms. Striving to celebrate a common date of Easter each
year is no small matter. Families, parishes, and communities experience the
pain of our different calendars and calculations in tangible ways. Efforts of
the Eastern and Western churches to achieve an annual common celebration of
Easter should be reignited at every level, allowing the light of Christ’s
resurrection to shine each year evermore brightly in our hearts and in our
world.
*
* *
Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Professor of Theology, Holy Cross
School of Theology; Exec. Director, Huffington Ecumenical Institute at HCHC
(HEI)
Rev. Robert M. Arida, Dean Emeritus of Holy Trinity
Cathedral (Boston, MA), Advisory Board Member (HEI))
Rev. Dr. Radu Bordeianu, Professor of Theology and Director
of Graduate Studies, Duquesne University
Dr. George Demacopoulos, Fr. John Meyendorff & Patterson
Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies, Fordham University
Rev. Dr. John H. Erickson, Gramowich Professor Emeritus and
former Dean, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.
Dr. John Fotopoulos, Chair and Associate Professor,
Department of Religious Studies and Theology, Saint Mary’s College (Notre Dame,
IN)
Rev. Dr. Philip Halikias, HCHC Administrator and Adjunct
Professor of Ecumenical Relations and Advisory Board Member (HEI)
Rev. John Maheras, Ecumenical Officer for the Metropolis of
Boston (ret.)
Rev. Dr. Harry Pappas, Presiding Priest at Archangels Greek
Orthodox Church (Stamford, CT) and Executive Board Member (HEI)
Rev. Dr. Anthony Roeber, Professor of Church History, St.
Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
Source: https://orthodoxobserver.org/toward-a-common-date-of-easter/
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