Pope Francis urges common Easter date for East, West

Pope Francis recently reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s openness to establishing a common date for Easter among Christian denominations, particularly noting that in 2025, Easter will be celebrated on the same day according to both the Gregorian and Julian calendars. During an ecumenical prayer service marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, he urged Christians to seize this coincidence as a catalyst for unity. He highlighted the significance of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which originally aimed to unify the Christian community's celebration of Easter. Historically, differences in calendar systems have caused discrepancies in Easter celebrations, with the Julian calendar used by many Eastern Christians lagging behind the Gregorian calendar. Pope Francis expressed that the Catholic Church is willing to accept any date that fosters this unity. The call for a unified celebration aligns with his broader ecumenical efforts in promoting cooperation among Christian faiths.