Stephen Cherry Church Times When you can’t forgive
“The Easter gospel does not mean that every victim has a duty to let bygones be bygones”
Ian Ellis Belfast News Letter If churches don’t resolve millennium-old dispute on an Easter date, governments may do it for us
Some Easter messages
Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Wales
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
Archbishops of Armagh
Bishop of Liverpool [2 minute video]
Bishop of Warrington
Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem
Archbishops of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
Archbishop of Melbourne
Archbishop of Canada
Archbishop of South Sudan
Regarding Ian Ellis, The secular world has already, in many places, secularized Christmas to such an extent that if various stores and other business establishments say “Happy Holidays”, instead of “Merry (Happy) Christmas”, or if (in the USA, at least) displays in front of government buildings have signs saying “Happy Holidays”, instead of “Merry Christmas”, certain Christian media pundits warn that Christianity and Western Civilization are irretrievably lost. And, no, I’m not exaggerating. I may be Jewish, and therefore be accused of not understanding Christianity, but I thought Christmas was about celebrating the Incarnation, of God reaching down to humanity… Read more »
Well said, Peter Gross. Other seasons and Festivals of the Church are also equally dependent on the date of Easter: Lent, Pentecost, of course, Ascension and (by some people the now largely forgotten) Trinity Sunday. I suppose to many in the secular world these names have little significance or meaning. The article comes from Northern Ireland, and it is worth pointing out that the Church of Ireland, the Church in Wales and the Scottish Episcopal Church, unlike the Church of England, are not ‘Established’ and not subject to the whims of a secular legislature. The Church of England should not… Read more »
Personally I would find liturgical planning a lot easier if we had a fixed Sunday for Easter. And lectionaries wouldn’t have to make allowances for so much variation either. But I don’t expect to convince traditionalists, and it’s not the trench I want to die in. Just wanting to ‘record my vote’, not engage in controversy.
We already celebrate Easter on a date determined by “the state”, specifically the Calendar Act of 1750. Canon Ellis quotes the Anglican Communion as saying the Eastern Churches base Easter on the true astronomical equinox and full moon at Jerusalem. Whoever in/at the Anglican Communion said this is wrong. They continue to use the method approved by the Northumbrian state, in the person of King Oswiu, at Whitby in 664. This was originally a tabulated approximation to the method decreed by Constantine. In it the notional full moons follow the same 19-year cycle forever, and the notional equinox runs according… Read more »
Thank you for your good wishes, and a Happy Easter to you.
I appreciate your comments on fixing the date of Easter.
The Jewish calendar also follows a 19-year mathematical model, and it too is falling behind the astronomical equinox. But, the change is slow enough, by human standards, and trying to get all Jewish groups on board with a change would be so monumental a task, no one even dreams of attempting it.
To use a parallel example, look at how long it took Europe to universally adopt the Gregorian calendar for secular use.
Bravo to Presiding Bishop Michael Curry for a true perspective of Mary Magdalene and the example of discipleship which she enshrines.
Michael Curry should be the Instrument of Communion for Anglicans, not Justin Welby, but that is impossible (sigh)
As someone who has needed and needs a great deal of forgiveness, I was glad to read Stephen Cherry’s piece.