OK…I wasn’t going to post but there are some things
that just have to be said. I will start with the posts
by James because he seems to be the most frantic about
this issue. First off James I would like for you to
support your claim of calling the “Old Calendarists”
pharisaical. Like left wing fanatics in the world of
politics who just throw out names rather than dealing
with what their opponents say, James is doing the same
thing. Certain names have a wonderful effect like
racist, pharisaical etc because no one wants to be
associated with someone who is and those who are
accused of such things tend then to be afraid of the accusation and
spend all their free time showing that they are not.
Olive oil, beards, Old Calendar…pharisaical…of course
James doesn’t ever say why they are. None of his posts
actually deal with the issue of the calendar but
because he has used the wonderful accusation of
pharisaical that is now what the Old Calendar
followers are. Now James if you are so concerned with
“working out your own salvation” then why the attacks?
You accuse the Old Calendarists of slander but it
would appear to me that you are doing much the same.
Reader Alexander has put forth a well thought out post
and although I disagree with some of it I appreciate
what it has brought to this discussion.
“We should examine the calendar issue
by addressing the inaccuracy of the Julian Calendar
PROPERLY, seeking to adjust the fixed feasts and
equinox dates so that they would ultimately be
astronomically "accurate," while holding to the sacred
traditions of Christ's Holy Church.”
“The issue is not of which of the two calendars are
correct. It is a known fact that both calendars are
correct.” (I am and will be quoting “Against False
Union” by Alexander Kalomiros.) “The reason for the
Old Calendarist refusal…is the liturgical unity of the
Church.” When the change in the calendar took place it
was done so there would be conformity with the rest of
the “Christian world” as to the celebration of Pascha.
Oddly enough there was not a concern about the unity
of the Orthodox celebration of Pascha or of any other
feast for that matter. “In Greece when the church
bells call the faithful to celebrate Christmas and the
chanters chant joyfully the ‘Christ is born, glorify
ye’ millions of our Orthodox brothers throughout the
rest of the world and on the Holy Mountain are still
in the fast of advent; and they do not hear the bells,
nor chant with us the joyful hymns of Christmas.”
"Yes, all calendars are somewhat
inaccurate. Likewise, no person is perfect either, nor
will anyone (except Our Lord) ever be. Does that mean
we shouldn't try to be the best we can be? I ask,
therefore, should we just allow the inaccuracies in
the Julian calendar to pile up, eventually putting the
celebration of Pascha in the winter and the Nativity
of Our Lord in the summer?"
Once again I would just say that the issue of “lunar
correctness” was never the issue. The Fathers knew
that assigning the vernal equinox to a fixed date was
astronomically inaccurate. Knowing that they still
were adamant about also stating that the reckoning of
Pascha was to only be changed by an Ecumenical
Council. The “willy-nilly” change that has taken place
is equivalent to the papal change to the Creed. The
Creed as well as the Calendar belong to the Church and
not to one bishop no matter what his title may be.
Therefore the Church as a whole should decide if a
change should be made. But the New Calendarists
decided to override 3 Pan-Councils and make the change
to be inline with the papists. So I would disagree
with Reader Alexander that the calendar issue is not
worth schism. I hate the fact that there is a schism
but the root of the issue is the heresy of papism and
the willingness of these so-called Orthodox bishops to
turn their back on the Faith and their faithful. They
changed the calendar to end the schism between the
East and West without the West rejecting their
heresies. So now we are “Sister Churches” and we
recognize each others mysteries. These bishops have
ceased being Orthodox because they have ceased
preaching the Orthodox Faith. I do not mean to sound
harsh and I am in no way condemning anyone. I am just
setting forth what the Orthodox Church truly believes.
You may disagree with me all you want but that doesn’t
change the facts. And although this may not have been
your point I still need to point this out. In the
Southern Hemisphere they celebrate the Nativity in the
summer.
In Christ,
Nektarios
