My Thoughts on 18/04/2020
Today for the Orthodox Church is Holy Saturday and tomorrow 19th they will be celebrating Easter Sunday. They base the Easter date on the Julian calendar which was designed by Julius Caesar in 45 BC – basing a year on the time it takes the Sun to go around the Earth.
We in the Latin Church follow the Gregorian Calendar which was created by Pope Gregory in 1582 to fix some of the glitches in the Julian Calendar as astronomy became more accurate.
The Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church broke communion during the East–West Schism of 1054. It was only after the formal schism of the 11th century that two, distinct churches are seen to exist, and thus commence relations. The split has, on both sides, been immensely lamented, for it defeats the exhortation of Jesus Christ “that they may all be one” (John 17:21). The anguish over the past has spurred both sides, particularly in recent decades, to work towards restoring Christian unity through ecumenical efforts.
Let us remember in our prayers our brothers and sister who will soon begin their celebration of Easter. Pope Francis last year addressed the Eastern Catholic Churches, in communion with Rome and said in a world where so many people sow division, Catholics are “called to be artisans of dialogue, promoters of reconciliation and patient builders of a civilisation of encounter that can preserve our times from the incivility of conflict.”
“The way shown to us from on high is made up of prayer, humility and love, not of regional or even traditionalist claims; no. The way is prayer, humility and love,” the Pope said.
