GENEVA (AP) _ The World Council of Churches is expressing hope that all of Christianity is moving closer to observing Easter on a common date every year.
Protestants and Roman Catholics will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on the same day as Orthodox churches in 2010 and 2011 because of a coincidence in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. But the ecumenical group says consensus is emerging that these should not just be occasional occurrences.
At a recent meeting in Ukraine, theologians representing nearly the breadth of Christianity agreed in principle on a strategy for all the faithful to continue observing Easter together.
The church council says they endorsed a plan for Easter to be held for all Christians on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox, using an equinox based on astronomical data.