ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN WITNESS
May 22/June 4, 2000
SUNDAY OF THE BLIND MAN
Vol. XXXIII, No. 19 (1492)
Epistle: Acts 16:16-34. Gospel: John 9: 1-38 Tone: Pl. I

    The “Orthodox” advocates for a common Pascha with the Roman Catholics claim that agreement will be reached if both “Churches” adhere to the determination decreed by the First Ecumenical Council, that is, that Pascha be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the vernal equinox. The Orthodox have always kept, however, the proviso that Pascha should not be celebrated before the Jewish Passover, the fourteenth of Nisan in the ceremonial lunar calendar of the Jews. This stipulation used to be observed by the Roman Catholics, but has been ignored in recent times. Now the Orthodox are being asked by ecumenists to drop this ancient stipulation.

    In their campaign to make the Orthodox change their ancient canons, the ecumenists are claiming that this stipulation originated in the twelfth century, because Balsamon, a canonist of the period, mentions it. (Although he speaks of it as an ancient condition in determining the date for Pascha.) The claim of the Paschal reformers could not be further from the truth and is an unconscionable distortion of history at the time of the Council.

    The question concerning the date for Pascha was raised at the Council because of the Quartodecimans [Latin: Keepers of the Fourteenth or "Fourteeners"], who were numerous in Asia Minor (the heartland of the Empire). They preserved a tradition from Saint John the Theologian, as they claimed, of celebrating Pascha on the Passover of the Jews, the Fourteenth of Nisan, on whatever day of the week it fell, and not on Sunday. They were Orthodox in every particular, differing from the rest of the Church only in this practice. With the victory of Saint Constantine, however, the Church came out of the catacombs, becoming a public institution. Wider and better communications and greater visibility nurtured the feeling that all Christians should celebrate together on the same day this great Feast of Christ’s victory over death and the resurrection of our nature in order to express the unity and concord of our faith. It seemed good to the Saints of the First Council to determine such a date, and they established the formula.

    The lunar reckoning was not a question or problem at the First Council. The Fathers so respected the actual date of the anniversary of Pascha, that is the Passover, they ordered that the date should be determined by the moon, rather than by the solar Julian calendar in use in the Empire. Even though the use of the lunar reckoning conjoined with the solar calendar produced shifting of dates for the feasts and caused variations in the liturgical season of the year, no one ever thought to depart from the Jewish reckoning. The question that the Council resolved was: should Pascha be celebrated on the fourteenth of Nisan even if on a weekday, or on the Sunday after the Passover, since it is precisely on every Sunday throughout the year that Christ’s resurrection is commemorated. The letter of the Emperor Saint Constantine to all those not present at the Council emphasizes how inappropriate it was for Christians to celebrate Pascha on the same day the Jews had their Passover.
The practical, pastoral problem remained of persuading the Quartodecimans to forsake their ancient Apostolic tradition and follow the usage of the Church. To celebrate Pascha before the Passover would have been for them unthinkable; they would never have been convinced to celebrate the anniversary of Pascha on a date prior to the actual anniversary. The same was true for most of the other Orthodox; otherwise they would not have bothered to retain the lunar reckoning. The Quartodecimans were barely convinced only when the proviso was formally added to the reckoning for Pascha that it must always fall after Passover. Only thus were they persuaded to celebrate with the Church when the reckoning for Pascha would not contradict the one that they had received from Apostolic authority.

    The Orthodox stipulation that Pascha must fall after the Passover is presupposed and implicit in the decree of the Council. This problem, of when Pascha should fall in relation to the Passover, is what initiated the entire discussion at the First Council and its decree. No settlement or decision could have been accepted which ignored it. Those who deny this stipulation are undermining and not implementing the decrees of the First Ecumenical Council.

        The following is taken from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Volume XIV, p 53-55. There are two letters. The first letter was sent by the bishops to the other bishops and faithful and the second was sent by the Emperor Constantine to "all those not present at the council." These were written after the First Council of Nicea.

    The complete text of The Synodal Letter has been presented: however, only those sections pertinent to this issue have been boldfaced. The text referring to Arius has been included because it provides information of his heresy: information which most people have no knowledge of.

    To the Church of Alexandria, by the grace of God, holy and great; and to our well-beloved brethren, the orthodox clergy and laity throughout Egypt, and Pentapolis, and Lybia, and every nation under heaven, the holy and great synod, the bishops assembled at Nicea, wish health in the Lord.

    Forasmuch as the great and holy Synod, which was assembled at Nicea through the grace of Christ and our most religious Sovereign Constantine, who brought us together from our several provinces and cities, has considered matters which concern the faith of the Church, it seemed to us to be necessary that certain things should be communicated from us to you in writing, so that you might have the means of knowing what has been mooted and investigated, and also what has been decreed and confirmed.

    First of all, then, in the presence of our most religious Sovereign Constantine, investigation was made of matters concerning the impiety and transgression of Arius and his adherents; and it was unanimously decreed that he and his impious opinion should be anathematized, together with the blasphemous words and speculations in which he indulged, blaspheming the Son of God, and saying that he is from things that are not, and that before he was begotten he was not, and that there was a time when he was not, and that the Son of God is by his free will capable of vice and virtue; saying also that he is a creature. All these things the holy Synod has anathematized, not even enduring to hear his impious doctrine and madness and blasphemous words. And of the charges against him and of the results they had, ye have either already heard or will hear the particulars, lest we should seem to be oppressing a man who has in fact received a fitting recompense for his own sin. So far indeed has his impiety prevailed, that he has even destroyed Theonas of Marmorica and Secundas of Ptolemais; for they also have received the same sentence as the rest.

    But when the grace of God had delivered Egypt from that heresy and blasphemy, and from the persons who have dared to make disturbance and division among a people heretofore at peace, there remained the matter of the insolence of Meletius and those who have been ordained by him; and concerning this part of our work we now, beloved brethren, proceed to inform you of the decrees of the Synod. The Synod, then, being disposed to deal gently with Meletius (for in strict justice he deserved no leniency), decreed that he should remain in his own city, but have no authority either to ordain, or to administer affairs, or to make appointments; and that he should not appear in the country or in any other city for this purpose, but should enjoy the bare title of his rank; but that whose who have been placed by him, after they have been confirmed by a more sacred laying on of hands, shall on these conditions be admitted to communion: that they shall both have their rank and the right to officiate, but that they shall be altogether the inferiors of all those who are enrolled in any church or parish, and have been appointed by our most honorable colleague Alexander. So that these men are to have no authority to make appointments of persons who may be pleasing to them, nor to suggest names, nor to do anything whatever, without the consent of the bishops of the Catholic and Apostolic Church, who are serving under our most holy colleague Alexander; while those who, by the grace of God and through your prayers, have been found in no schism, but on the contrary are without spot in the Catholic and Apostolic Church, are to have authority to make appointments and nominations of worthy persons among the clergy, and in short to do all things according to the law and ordinance of the Church. But, if it happen that any of the clergy who are now in the Church should die, and those who have been lately received are to succeed to the office of the deceased; always provided that they shall appear to be worthy, and that the people elect them, and that the bishop of Alexandria shall concur in the election and ratify it. This concession has been made to all the rest; but, on account of his disorderly conduct from the first, and the rashness and precipitation of his character, the same decree was not made concerning Meletius himself, but that, inasmuch as he is a man capable of committing again the same disorders, no authority nor privilege should be conceded to him.

    These are the particulars, which are of special interest to Egypt and to the most holy Church of Alexandria; but if in the presence of our most honored lord, our colleague and brother Alexander, anything else has been enacted by canon or other decree, he will himself convey it to you in greater detail, he having been both a guide and fellow-worker in what has been done.

     We further proclaim to you the good news of the agreement concerning the holy Passover (Pascha or Easter), that this particular also has through your prayers been rightly settled; so that all our brethren in the East who formerly followed the custom of the Jews are henceforth to celebrate the said most sacred feast of Passover (Pascha or Easter) at the same time with the Romans and yourselves and all those who have observed Passover from the beginning.

    Wherefore, rejoicing in these wholesome results, and in our common peace and harmony, and in the cutting off of every heresy, receive ye with the greater honor and with increased love, our colleague your Bishop Alexander, who has gladdened us by his presence, and who at so great an age has undergone so great fatigue, that peace might be established among you and all of us. Pray ye also for us all, that the things which have been deemed advisable may stand fast; for they have been done, as we believe, to the well-pleasing of Almighty God and of his only Begotten Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

     When the question relative to the sacred festival of the Passover (Easter) arose, it was universally thought that it would be convenient that all should keep the feast on one day; for what could be more beautiful and more desirable, than to see this festival, through which we receive the hope of immortality, celebrated by all with one accord, and in the same manner? It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom [the calculation] of the Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom, we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating the Passover (Easter), which we have observed from the time of the Savior's Passion to the present day (according to the day of the week). We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Savior has shown us another way; our worship follows a more legitimate and more convenient course (the order of the days of the week); and consequently, in unanimously adopting this mode, we desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews, for it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without their direction we could not keep this feast. How can they be in the right, they who, after the death of the Savior, have no longer been led by reason but by wild violence, as their delusion may urge them? They do not possess the truth in this Passover (Easter) question; for, in their blindness and repugnance to all  improvements,  they frequently celebrate two Passovers  in the same year. We could not imitate those who are openly in error. How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are most certainly blinded by error? For to celebrate the Passover twice in one year is totally inadmissible. But even if this were not so, it would still be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communications with such wicked people (the Jews). Besides, consider well, that in such an important matter, and on a subject of such great solemnity, there ought not to be any division. Our Savior has left us only one festal day of our redemption, that is to say, of his holy passion, and he desired (to establish) only one Catholic Church. Think, then, how unseemly it is, that on the same day some should be fasting while others are seated at a banquet; and that after Passover (Easter), some should be rejoicing at feasts, while others are still observing a strict fast. For this reason, a Divine Providence wills that this custom should be rectified and regulated in a uniform way; and everyone, I hope, will agree upon this point. As, on the one hand, it is our duty not to have anything in common with the murderers of our Lord; and as, on the other, the custom now followed by the Churches of the West, of the South, and of the North, and by some of those of the East, is the most acceptable, it has appeared good to all; and I have been guaranteed for your consent, that you would accept it with joy, as it is followed at Rome, in Africa, in all Italy, Egypt, Spain, Gaul, Britain, Libya, in all Achaia, and in the dioceses of Asia, of Pontus, and Cilicia. You should consider not only that the number of churches in these provinces make a majority, but also that it is right to demand what our reason approves, and that we should have nothing in common with the Jews. To sum up in few words: By the unanimous judgment of all, it has been decided that the most holy festival of Passover (Easter) should be everywhere celebrated on one and the same day, and it is not seemly that in so holy a thing there should be any division. As this is the state of the case, accept joyfully the divine favor, and this truly divine command; for all which takes place in assemblies of the bishops ought to be regarded as proceeding from the will of God. Make known to your brethren what has been decreed, keep this most holy day according to the prescribed mode; we can thus celebrate this holy Passover (Easter) day at the same time, if it is granted me, as I desire, to unite myself with you; we can rejoice together, seeing that the divine power has made use of our instrumentality for destroying the evil designs of the devil, and thus causing faith, peace, and unity to flourish amongst us. May God graciously protect you, my beloved brethren.