Pope Francis: Easter belongs to Christ, not our calendars

By Devin Watkins

Pope Francis met Thursday with representatives of the Pasqua Together 2025 Initiative, which represents various lay associations and movements of several Christian confessions.

The Julian and Gregorian calendars align for the celebration of Easter in the Catholic Jubilee Year of 2025, meaning that all Christians will celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection on the same day.

Also in 2025, Christians will commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, which clarified the divine nature of the Son of God and gave the Church the Nicene Creed.

In his prepared remarks, the Pope encouraged the work of the Pasqua Together initiative, and invited them not to let this unique opportunity “pass by in vain.”

Pope Francis noted that he has been asked several times to seek a solution to the issue of multiple dates for Easter.

“I encourage those who are committed to this journey to persevere,” he said, “and to make every effort in the search for a shared agreement, avoiding anything that may instead lead to further divisions among our brothers and sisters.”

The Pope then pointed out that Easter does not take place by our initiative and is not linked to any one calendar.

“Easter occurred because God ‘so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life’,” he said. “Let us not forget the primacy of God, His primerear, His having taken the first step.”

Pope Francis urged Christians not to close ourselves in our plans, ideas, calendars, or “our Easter.”

“Easter belongs to Christ!” he noted. “Moreover, it is good for us to ask for the grace to be ever more His disciples, allowing Him to be the one to show us the way we should follow.”

In conclusion, the Pope said Christians should reflect, plan, and walk together, so that we may bear witness to Christ and that the world may believe.

“Let us also turn, today, to the Prince of Peace in order to pray that He give us His peace.”