Free Republic

Arguments over Easter date could make rows over same-sex marriage look easy, warns Bishop of Salisbury A prominent Church of England bishop has spoken out against plans by the world's main Christian denominations to fix the date of Easter to the same Sunday every year. Anglican primates agreed earlier this year to join discussions involving Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic leaders to set a common date for the festival for the first time. Such a move would not only simplify economic planning but unite different traditions around the world and end almost 2,000 years of theological controversy. However the Bishop...

Pope Francis said he supports the idea of setting a fixed date for Easter Sunday, which for centuries has moved back and forth according to the lunar calendar. Easter and the Holy Week that precedes it is rooted in the Jewish Passover and fixed on the first full moon, which falls on the first Sunday after the spring equinox, March 21. […] The Orthodox Churches normally celebrate Easter a week after the Catholics. […] Historians and expert agree that a common date for Easter would encourage “reconciliation between the Christian churches.” …