"A long-awaited project": Head of Cyprus Church calls for common Easter date with Roman Catholics

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, His Beatitude Archbishop George, sees no problem in unifying the date of Easter with Roman Catholics. The first hierarch claims that the date of the Resurrection of Christ, which is the same as the date of the Roman Catholic Church, does not contradict the canons of the Church, and the idea was first voiced by the Pope. He said this on the air of the radio program “Morning Routes,” Ekklisia Online reports.

Speaking about the joint celebration of Easter with Roman Catholics, Archbishop George of Cyprus noted that the Pope was the first to express the desire for a joint celebration, agreeing to the postponement of Catholic Easter. He emphasized that since there is no question of changing the sacred rules, he does not expect any objections from the Orthodox Church. The Primate of the Church of Cyprus even called the joint celebration a long-awaited project.

Earlier, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople drew attention to the importance of the joint celebration of Easter for the further establishment of unity with the Roman Catholic Church. The head of the Phanar believes that the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council will also help accelerate this process. In addition, 2025 marks 60 years since the lifting of the mutual anathemas between the Vatican and the Phanar, which were imposed in 1054.