The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, has revisited a proposal for a formula that would set a common date every year for the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches to celebrate Easter. In other statements, he criticized the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who oppose such as compromise between the two Churches.
His All Holiness Bartholomew, the primus inter pares of the world’s Orthodox Patriarchs, qualified his proposal by saying that the agreement on a joint Easter Sunday and Easter Week commemorations on the annual ecclesiastical calendar by the Churches would not extend to joint liturgical practices.
Statement on Easter
On Friday, the Ecumenical Patriarch presided over the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of Saint Nicholas at the namesake church in Istanbul’s Cibali district, which has been designated as a parish catering to the religious needs of the Ukrainian-speaking Orthodox faithful in the Bosporus metropolis.
During his speech, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew stated:
“We rejoice deeply because the current Pope, like his immediate predecessors from Paul VI to Benedict XVI, shares the same disposition toward the great issue of ‘the unity of all,’ for which our Holy Church continuously prays. As the date for celebrating the Feast of Feasts, Holy Pascha, coincides next year for Eastern and Western Christianity, we consider it a golden opportunity to reach an agreement with our brother Francis for the permanent establishment of a unified Easter celebration by the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches in the years to come, in accordance with the Canon of our Church. We are optimistic that the Anglican Church and other Protestant denominations will gladly adopt such an agreement.”
He then addressed Orthodox Christians opposing this initiative, clarifying:
“This agreement pertains solely to the date of Easter’s celebration and does not imply joint liturgical practices with our Roman Catholic brethren, which would require ecclesial communion between our Churches—a state we have not yet achieved despite theological dialogue progress and significant steps made. Just as most Orthodox Churches celebrate the great feast of Christmas on December 25, the same date as the Roman Catholic Church, and as Roman Catholic communities in Greece follow the Orthodox Canon to celebrate Easter alongside their Orthodox brothers, as has been the case in Finland for many years, we propose to institutionalize a unified Easter date on a pan-Christian level, based on the Orthodox Church’s method of determination. We believe this is the best way to honor the memory of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, who, among other things, addressed the issue of a unified Easter celebration. It is indeed lamentable that, 1700 years later, we are still discussing this issue.”
“It is inconceivable and unacceptable to persist, in the early 21st century, in fanaticism, narrow-mindedness, and prejudice. Our God is a God of love. Even if mistakes were made in the past, this does not mean we must perpetuate them,” added the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Criticism of Russia and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia
Patriarch Bartholomew also prayed for Russian clergy and laity who support persecuted Orthodox Christians in Ukraine and endure imprisonment and persecution for resisting what he described as the “inhumane policies” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the “anti-Christian rhetoric” of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
Specifically, he said:
“The unwavering concern of the Mother Church of Constantinople also extends to the faithful and severely tested people of Ukraine, who have been experiencing the horror of a heinous war waged by the Russian Federation for nearly three years. The upcoming celebration of Christmas, the quintessential day of proclaiming ‘peace on earth,’ should mobilize everyone toward the definitive end of the war through a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine. We pray unceasingly for the swift and full recovery of the wounded, the repose of the souls of the victims, and the comfort of their families in both Ukraine and Russia. Today, we offer special prayers to Saint Nicholas, whose feast we celebrate, for all those Russian clergy and laity who support their suffering Orthodox brothers in Ukraine and endure relentless persecution and imprisonment because they raise their voices against President Putin’s inhumane policies and Patriarch Kirill’s anti-Christian rhetoric. May their example awaken consciences within and beyond their homeland.”
Source: AMNA
