The head of the Church of Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew stated the need, starting from 2025, to unite the date of celebration of Easter with Christians of the Western rite. The head of the Phanar said this in a congratulatory message on the occasion of the Resurrection of Christ according to the Gregorian calendar, reports the Orthodox Times.

“On this day, the eternal message of the Resurrection resounds more profoundly than ever, as our non-Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters celebrate the resurrection of our Lord from the dead by celebrating Holy Easter. We pray to the Lord of Glory that the upcoming celebration of Easter next year will not be just a casual event, but rather the beginning of a unified date for its celebration by both Eastern and Western Christianity”, – Patriarch Bartholomew declared.

The head of the Patriarchate of Constantinople believes that the unification of Easter should be timed to coincide with the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, which, precisely, considered the issue of calculating the date of Easter.

“This aspiration is especially important in light of the upcoming celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the convening of the First Ecumenical Synod in Nicea in 2025. One of the key issues discussed was the establishment of a common date for the celebration of the Easter of Christ. We are optimistic, because both sides demonstrate good will and readiness to do it”, – the head of the Phanar said.

It should be noted that such statements by Patriarch Bartholomew coincide marvelously with the position of Pope Francis on this issue. Earlier we reported that the head of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Francis called on Christians of all denominations to unite in the celebration of Easter in 2025. The head of the Vatican wants to time the joint celebration of the Resurrection of Christ to the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council.