Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center Feasts of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha Date

Feast of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha is the first Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after March 21.
This particular ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (new moon)
Orthdox only - must be after the Jewish Passover
The Vernal Equinox is fixed as March 21.

Then, the earliest possible date for Feasts of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha is March 22 and the latest possible date is April 25.

The lunar cycles used by the ecclesiastical system are simple to program. The following algorithm will compute the date of Feast of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha in the Gregorian Calendar system.

The algorithm uses the year, y, to give the month, m, and day, d, of Easter. The symbol * means multiply.

Please note the following: This is an integer calculation. All variables are integers and all remainders from division are dropped. For example, 7 divided by 3 is equal to 2 in integer arithmetic.

c = y / 100
n = y - 19 * ( y / 19 )
k = ( c - 17 ) / 25
i = c - c / 4 - ( c - k ) / 3 + 19 * n + 15
i = i - 30 * ( i / 30 )
i = i - ( i / 28 ) * ( 1 - ( i / 28 ) * ( 29 / ( i + 1 ) )
* ( ( 21 - n ) / 11 ) )
j = y + y / 4 + i + 2 - c + c / 4
j = j - 7 * ( j / 7 )
l = i - j
m = 3 + ( l + 40 ) / 44
d = l + 28 - 31 * ( m / 4 )

For example, using the year 2010,
y=2010,
c=2010/100=20,
n=2010 - 19 x (2010/19) = 2010 - 19 x (105) = 15, [see note above regarding integer calculations]
etc. resulting in Easter on April 4, 2010.

The algorithm is due to J.-M. Oudin (1940) and is reprinted in the Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac, ed. P. K. Seidelmann (1992). See Chapter 12, "Calendars", by L. E. Doggett.

Melkites use both the Julian Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar to determine the date of Pascha.

The Patriarch / Batriyark uses the Julian Calendar with the approval of His Holiness Ioannes Paulus II (John Paul II), Pope.

The Patriarch / Batriyark celebrates Pascha on the same day as the Orthodox. This practice began in 2002 with the approval of His Holiness Ioannes Paulus II (John Paul II), Pope. The Orthodox use the Julian Calendar.
From 1858 to 2001, the Patriarch / Batriyark celebrated Pascha on the same day as the Pope. The Latin Catholics use the Gregorian Calendar.
Syrian Catholics and Orthodox to Mark Easter on Same Day in Syria, press release from ZENIT.

Countries, where the dominate Christians are Orthodox, use the Julian Calendar

Melkites, in countries where the dominate Christians are Orthodox, celebrate on the same day as the Orthodox. The Orthodox use the Julian Calendar.

Countries, where the dominate Christians are Latin, use the Gregorian Calendar

Melkites, in countries where the dominate christians are Latin Catholics, celebrate on the same day as the Latin Catholics. The Latin Catholics use the Gregorian Calendar.

His Beatitude, Gregorios III, Patriarch / Batriyark of the cities of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, of Cilicia, Syria, Iberia, Arabia Mesopotamia, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, of all of Egypt and the entire East, Father of Fathers, Pastor of Pastors, Bishop of Bishops, the Thirteenth of The Holy Apostles (Patriarcat Grec Melkite Catholique) 's explanation of the date of Pascha in his 2010 Pascha Letter via the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Eparchy of Newton (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts), United States

His Beatitude, Gregorios III, Patriarch / Batriyark's 2010 Pascha Letter

Proposal of His Holiness Ioannes Paulus II (John Paul II) for one Feast of Feasts Holy and Glorious Pascha date for all Christians

"POPE AGAIN PROPOSES ONE EASTER DATE FOR ALL CHRISTIANS Calendars of Eastern and Western Churches Do Not Coincide", an article from Zenit.org

Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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