orthohawk wrote:
A rather wise friend of mine once wrote (not in his exact wording but anyhow...): "The scientific definition of the spring equinox is when the sun is (from the perspective of those on earth) directly overhead at the equator. The Church has decided to count March 21 as the equinox for Pascha calculating purposes. Which calender says March 21 when the sun is directly overhead at the equator? "
OK, granted sometimes it's on March 22, but it's NEVER on April 4.
He also said something about the Church sanctifying the world. If we believe that is possible, then there should be no talk of the Greg Calendar being heretical/whateveryouwannacallit. The Church's use of it sanctifies it.
OOOH BURN! lol. I think EVERYBODY agrees that the new calendar is more accurate. People on the \"old calendar\" (except for the fundamentalists) say \"oh, yeah, we\'re some of those Orthodox who celebrate Christmas on the 7th (btw, Father, not to be rude, but on old Calendar Christmas, we have already celebrated Theophany...). People celebrate St. Nicholas Day on Dec. 19, etc...I could go on and on. People know that the Gregorian calendar is more accurate. However, it is against the cannons of the Church to celebrate Pascha before the Jewish Passover. This is the main issue. Otherwise, (personal opinion), i think EVERYBODY would have changed to new calendar a long time ago... One of the main arguments is that the new calendar messes up the Paschalion...The Apostles\' Fast is shortened considerably, or sometimes eliminated; St. George\'s Feast has to be moved sometimes as much as 16 or so days when it falls during the Fast, as opposed to being moved a maximum of 3 days on the old calendar. For THIS reason, not its being untraditional or whatever, but for it messing up the Paschalion, i like the old calendar. I like it, but I am on the new calendar, and out of obedience I will stay so. Doesn\'t mean I can\'t go to an old calendar church (one that\'s in Communion) once in awhile, or if thats the only church available on vacation, go there. But I follow the fasting and such of the new calendar. I wish we could figure out a way to change the Jewish calendar to be more accurate. Then we can celebrate Pascha earlier. Think about it, KyrioPascha (Annunciation and Pascha coinciding) happened on the Julian calendar, and it happens in Finland (2070-something and 2039, respectively, will be the next), which celebrates Pascha sometimes before the Jewish Passover (they started Lent yesterday...) but yet have not been labeled heretics. But it never happens on the \"Revised Julian Calendar.\" The same time slot that Finland and the RCs and Protty\'s have when Easter can fall in (March 20 something to April 25th or so, not quite sure) is the same as the Julian Calendar. The Julian Calendar time slot is not April 4th to May 8th, it is the same time slot as the Gregorian, but since we follow a mixture of the two calendars, for us it is April 4th to May 8th, which messes up the Paschalion, because, imagine if, for us Gregorians, Pascha were to fall as late as May 21! That\'s May 8th on the Julian Calendar, and WAAAY too late. So basically, the main problem that I and most others have with the Gregorian Calendar (at least that I\'ve heard) is that it messes up the Paschalion. But, HEY! I don\'t mind not having an Apostles\' Fast some years ;) lol This was a long response lol.
In Christ,
-Manoli the Canoli
