Pope calls for a total date of Easter

Pope Frans called on Sunday a common date for Easter among Christian churches in a spirit of promoting unity.

“It is a happy case that Easter in this ecumenical anniversary year is celebrated on the same day in both the Gregorian and Julian calendar,” he said, referring to 2025, as Frans has declared a special year in which believers are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to Rome.

Western Christians follow the Gregorian calendar introduced by Pope Gregor XIII in the 16th century when it was noted that the dates were on the way out of conformity to the seasons.

But many Orthodox churches remain with the older Julian calendar from Julius Caesar’s time, which means there is now a 12-day gap between the two calendars.

“Again, I urge all Christians to understand this coincidence as an invitation to take a crucial step towards unity with regard to a joint Easter date,” he urged.

Easter Day is April 20 for all Christians this year.

Pope Frans recalled the Council of Nicaea 1,700 years ago, which he said had strived to preserve the unity of the church in a very difficult time. The council, which was called in 325 AD, agreed on a date for Easter, the prayer, outlining Christian faith, known as the Nikan creed, and the relationship between God the Father and God the Son or Jesus.

He mentioned that the councilors had unanimously adopted the creed that many Christians still recite under the Eucharist: “Let’s rediscover the common roots of faith, let’s preserve unity,” the pope said.

The 88-year-old has repeatedly emphasized the role of communication in a divided world in recent days. He strongly urged to preserve the freedom of press and the right to information while warning against false information and manipulation.

He stated that media knowledge and education for critical thinking are needed during an audience with writers, writers and other Vatican intermediaries on Saturday.

“In communicators today have a fundamental role in society, in reporting facts and in the way they are told,” the Pope noted.
He also remembered media workers who died under their duty – and those who were jailed, “because they wanted to look with their own eyes and try to report what they witnessed.”