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Lutheran-Orthodox Dialogue in the U.S.A.
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In March 1997, a consultation
sponsored by the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council
of Churches, meeting in Aleppo, Syria, issued a statement "Toward a
Common Date for Easter." The members of the Lutheran-Orthodox Dialogue
in the U.S.A., assembled in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, on July 12-13, 1999,
reviewed this statement, heard a presentation on it by the Rev. Dr. Paul
Nelson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and had an
opportunity for discussion. We strongly affirm the basic principles of
the Aleppo Statement and urge its careful and pastorally sensitive
study.
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In particular, we affirm the
recommendation of the Aleppo Statement that the churches maintain/reappropriate
the norms established by the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (A.D.
325). The statement does well to draw attention to the continuing
relevance of Nicaea to the faith and life of our churches.
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Furthermore, we agree that the
Aleppo Statement is faithful to the Nicene norms in espousing principles
such as the following:
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Christians should celebrate the
Feast of the Resurrection on the same day, so as not to give a divided
witness in the world.
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The calculation of the date of
Easter/Pascha is tied to the cycles of sun and moon. This provides a
salutary reminder of the cosmic dimensions of Christ's victory over
sin and death. Proposals to celebrate Easter on a fixed date should be
rejected.
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There is an "intimate
connection between the biblical passover and the Christian celebration
of 'Christ our paschal lamb'" (10(c)), "a link that reflects the flow
of salvation history" (12(a)(i)).
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Faithfulness to the spirit of
the Council of Nicaea dictates that the date of the vernal equinox and
of the following full moon be calculated by the best scientific means
available.
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The Aleppo Statement notes
that in the year 2001 the Pascal calculations presently in use in our
churches result in the same date for Easter/Pascha. The Statement
recommends that, in the interval between now and then, the churches
study and consider means to implement its recommendations, for achieving
a common celebration.
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Our Lutheran-Orthodox
Ecumenical Dialogue in the U.S.A. endorses the Statement's call to study
during the period leading to Easter/Paschal 2001. This study should take
place at all levels of our churches, including that of
congregations/parishes, where study of the Statement may be useful
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for raising ecumenical
awareness;
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for explaining why Easter/Pascha
is a movable fast, and how its date is calculated;
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for explaining the reason for
divergent dates for Easter/Pascha in communities where Eastern and
Western Christians live together; and
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for exploring the cosmic and
the salvation historical dimensions of Christ's resurrection.
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At the same time, our
Lutheran-Orthodox Dialogue in the U.S.A. recognizes the need for the
greatest sensitivity in the discussion of the possibility of change in
the traditional means of calculating the date of Easter/Pascha. We
pledge to one another, and to our other ecumenical partners, that we
will continue to seek reconciliation between all Christians in this
matter.
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It is our prayer and hope that
we all maintain/reappropriate the norms of the First Ecumenical Council,
and that this faithfulness will lead us, in a future not too far
distant, to the celebration of Easter/Pascha on a common date, so that
we may give "a common witness to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the central mystery of the Christian faith." Our dialogue
therefore urges our churches to give the Aleppo Statement serious
attention. Antiochian Village Ligonier, Pennsylvania July 13, 1999.
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