Phanar backs common Easter date with Catholics and Protestants

Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Leo. Photo: Fos fanariou

On February 27, 2026, a statement was published by Orthodox theologians associated with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, proposing to establish a unified date for celebrating Easter for Orthodox, Catholics, and Protestants, reports Fos fanariou publication.

The document was prepared following a meeting of a group of clergy and scholars in Boston and focuses on revisiting current calendar practice. The authors argue that the present method of calculating Easter according to the Julian calendar has, over time, become less accurate. In their view, it no longer fully corresponds to the decision of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325), which established the rule of celebrating Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

The theologians stress that the calendar issue “is not dogmatic” but belongs to the pastoral sphere. They say that using more precise astronomical calculations would bring Orthodox practice closer to the Nicene rule while also eliminating the difference in dates with Western Christians.

The statement places special emphasis on so-called mixed families, especially in North America. “Different dates for Easter create difficulties for families in which spouses belong to different Christian traditions,” the authors note. A shared date, they argue, would allow such families to celebrate together and would be a step toward strengthening Christian unity.

The document also states that the Patriarchate of Constantinople could allow its parishes in the West to celebrate Easter according to the Gregorian calendar without requiring the consent of all local Churches. The Finnish Church is cited as an example, as it already uses the Gregorian calendar for calculating Easter.

The authors call for an “open and calm discussion” of the issue and believe the question of a common Easter date should be brought to a broader church-wide discussion.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Archbishop Elpidophoros spoke of “diversity in the Body of Christ” at a prayer service attended by Catholics, Protestants, and an openly lesbian “bishopess.”

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