After centuries, Orthodox and Catholic Christians unite for Easter

After centuries, Orthodox and Catholic Christians are uniting and celebrating Easter this year.

Easter is a holiday celebrated on a Sunday in March or April, which Christians celebrate as the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated at the end of Holy Week, which began with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, and then, after enduring his suffering on the cross at Calvary and being buried in the tomb, he triumphed over death and rose from the dead on Sunday.

For over 400 years, the Orthodox and Catholic churches used different methods to determine the date of Easter, but this year (2025), after centuries, both churches will celebrate this feast, called Easter or Resurrection, on the same day.

Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic world, and Patriarch Bartholomew, the head of the Orthodox Church, have expressed their desire to celebrate this celebration jointly and permanently. Bishop Bartholomew welcomed the idea, calling it a real step towards resolving long-standing conflicts between the churches.

The idea of ​​celebrating the feast simultaneously had been around since the 1960s, when it was revived every year after Easter was celebrated at different times, but none of the leaders were willing to back down from their stance on celebrating the feast at the same time. But the Geneva-based World Council of Churches proposed a solution, which meant calculating Easter using modern astronomy and based on Jerusalem time.

At a time when religious analysts were increasingly emphasizing "universal unity," close ties to the Pope and Patriarch became key to the agreement to hold a joint celebration.

Now all Catholic and Orthodox Christians around the world will unite to celebrate Easter on Sunday and celebrate this great celebration.