Patriarch Bartholomew calls on Pope Francis to switch to Julian calendar Easter

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has called on Pope Francis to return to calculating Easter according to the Julian calendar. According to the head of the Phanar, if the Roman Catholic Church — after 2025 — begins to calculate the date of Easter according to the Julian calendar, this will contribute to the unification process. The words of Patriarch Bartholomew are reported by the Orthodox Times.

“A real step towards resolving the old conflicts is the call of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and our Modesty to the Roman Catholic Church and our elder brother, His Holiness Pope Francis, to return to the Julian calendar for the joint celebration of Easter. Based on our knowledge of the Church as the body of Christ, this realistic proposal represents a clear path to unity,” — said Patriarch Bartholomew.

Earlier, we reported that Pope Francis is discussing with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople a possible single date for Easter for Catholics and Orthodox. The pontiff spoke about this in a conversation with Jesuits during a recent trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in 2023.