Rome would be ill-advised to tinker with the date of Easter

The question of the date on which Easter should be celebrated has vexed Christianity sporadically since the 2nd century.

Pope Francis greets cardinal Giovanni Battista Re during a surprise visit to Saint Peter's Square, Vatican at Palm Sunday Mass (via Alamy/ 3AM27XP)

Before his recent hospitalisation, the Pope raised a question that has vexed Christianity sporadically since the 2nd century: the date on which Easter should be celebrated. “The Catholic Church,” he said, “ is open to accepting the date on which everyone has agreed: a date of unity.”

He raised the topic because, in 2025, due to an exceptional alignment of calendars, all Christian denominations will celebrate Easter on the same date: Sunday, 20 April. Usually the Orthodox – or at least many of them – celebrate Easter at a later date than Christians in the West. The Pope cited this fact in his remarks: “I renew my appeal that this coincidence may serve as a call to all Christians to take a decisive step toward unity around a common date for Easter.”