In his sermon, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew sent heartfelt wishes to all non-Orthodox Christians who celebrated Easter on Sunday, March 31, after leading the Sunday Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Theodore” in the “Vlanga” quarter.
“On this day, the eternal message of the Resurrection sounds more deeply than ever, as our non-Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters commemorate the Resurrection of our Lord from the dead, celebrating the holy Easter. We have sent the greetings of the Holy Great Church of Christ to all the Christian communities here. But we also heartily greet with love all Christians around the world who are celebrating Easter today. We ask the Lord of Glory that the upcoming common celebration of Easter next year will not be a mere coincidence, but will mark the beginning of a single date for its observance by both Eastern and Western Christendom,” noted Patriarch Bartholomew.
“This aspiration is particularly significant in light of the upcoming 1700th anniversary of the convening of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 2025. Among its key discussions is the question of establishing a common time frame for the celebration of Easter. We are optimistic as there is good will and desire on both sides. Because it is truly scandalous to celebrate separately the unique event of the one Resurrection of the one Lord!”, the patriarch also stated.
