Will the Churches Celebrate Easter on the Same Day from Now On?

Abstract Since the calendar reform by Pope Gregory VIII in 1582, the way in which the date of Easter is calculated has diverged between Western and Eastern Christianity. While Western Christianity has adopted the Gregorian calendar, Eastern churches still follow the Julian calendar. Therefore, in most years, the feast of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated in the Orthodox churches on a different day than in the Western churches. This article surveys the discussion on arriving at a common date to celebrate Easter, including the 1997 proposal made by a World Council of Churches consultation in Aleppo, Syria. This search to arrive at a common date has been given added impetus by the fact that in 2025 the Eastern and Western calendars coincide and that the year also marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which in its era set a common date for the Easter celebration.