The World Council of Churches has published a paper by which it explores ways for Christians everywhere in the world to have a good time Easter on the identical day.
Western Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church have, for around 500 years, used a distinct calendar to eastern Orthodox churches. As a result the eastern churches are likely to have a good time Christian festivals like Easter on different dates to their western counterparts.
This 12 months nonetheless the 2 calendars coincide, and each traditions will have a good time Easter over the identical weekend. The last time this happened was 2017.
To mark the occasion the WCC has released a Faith and Order paper called “Towards a Common Date for Easter”.
The release coincides with the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, at which, amongst other things, holding a standard celebration of the resurrection of Jesus was discussed.
The paper incorporates contributions from 4 different church traditions and explores ways in which a standard date may very well be agreed upon.
Dr Johannes Oeldemann, who gives a Roman Catholic perspective within the paper, notes that even inside one denomination, Easter could also be observed at different times depending on the local context.
Dr Oeldemann noted that Roman Catholics living in predominantly eastern Orthodox countries, or perhaps those married to an eastern Orthodox believer, often observe Easter similtaneously their eastern neighbours, quite than aligning with Rome.
“In families where one spouse is Catholic and the opposite Orthodox, different dates for Easter pose a significant challenge since the fasting periods and feast days differ. Catholics, subsequently, consider the query of Easter primarily from a pastoral standpoint.”
Dr Sandra Beardsall, moderator of the Nicaea 2025 steering group of the WCC’s Commission on Faith and Order, who co-edited the paper, said, “We hope these offerings—which include historical depth, wealthy reflection, and exciting practical suggestions—may help animate the churches of the world and Christians in their very own contexts to work with each other toward a standard celebration of Easter.”
