Easter arrives a little later, but it's still Orthodox.Byline: Jim Feehan The Register-Guard They weren't late - just observing Easter on a different calendar. Orthodox Christians gathered late Saturday night to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with a midnight service, then gathered again Sunday for a late-morning service culminating in an afternoon feast and performance by the Eugene Russian Choir. Most American Christians observed Easter this year on March 27, but Orthodox church members began their weeklong celebration on April 24. About 100 worshippers at St. George Greek Orthodox Church Greek Orthodox Church Independent Eastern Orthodox church of Greece. The term is sometimes used erroneously for Eastern Orthodoxy in general. It remained under the patriarch of Constantinople until 1833, when it became independent. in north Eugene observed Holy Pascha, or Easter, on Sunday. The Orthodox observance occurs later than the Western church because Orthodox churches use the Julian calendar Julian calendar n. The solar calendar introduced by Julius Caesar in Rome in 46 b.c., having a year of 12 months and 365 days and a leap year of 366 days every fourth year. , developed during the reign of Julius Caesar Julius Caesar: see Caesar, Julius. in the first century B.C. The Western church, by contrast, follows the Gregorian calendar Gregorian calendar Solar dating system now in general use. It was proclaimed in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a reform of the Julian calendar. By the Julian reckoning, the solar year comprised 365¹⁄₄ days. established by Pope Gregory VII Pope Saint Gregory VII (c. 1020/1025 – May 25, 1085), born Hildebrand of Soana (Italian: Ildebrando di Soana) was pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. . The discrepancy is tied in part to historical disagreements about leap years Leap Years is a 2001 drama television series that aired on the Showtime cable network. The show was created by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, who had created the American version of the series Queer as Folk. It followed a group of friends in New York City. . Sunday's worship included Scripture reading, times of prayer, music and a traditional Easter meal of roast lamb, baklava and mizithra, a Greek-style pasta dish with lightly browned clarified butter. The feast follows a 40-day fast of no meat or dairy products, said the Rev. Timothy Pavlatos. In the Orthodox tradition, Easter "is the greatest feast day in the church," Pavlatos said. Unlike the Roman Catholic church Roman Catholic Church, Christian church headed by the pope, the bishop of Rome (see papacy and Peter, Saint). Its commonest title in official use is Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. , which is unified under the pope in the Vatican, Orthodox churches don't accept the infallibility of the pope and maintain their own leadership and diverse cultural traditions, Pavlatos said. During the 40-day fasting period, "We replace meals with prayer," said Andrew Lilles, president of the parish council. The Holy Pascha service that follows can be a rather exhausting and intense ceremony, he said. A strong sense of family and community are among the hallmarks of the Orthodox church, said church member Pete Drakatos. "It's an old, ancient church that follows tradition," he said. Church members were treated to traditional Russian folk songs and some liturgical hymns from the 15-member Eugene Russian Choir. Accordion player Kalin Krilov, a native of Bulgaria, received a standing ovation for his accordion solo, which prompted an encore. |
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