Old calendarists
Encyclopedia
The term Old Calendarist refers to any Orthodox Christian or any Orthodox Church body which uses the historic Julian calendar
(called "Old Style Calendar" or "Church calendar" or "Old Calendar"), and whose Church body is not in communion with the Orthodox Churches that use the New Calendar. The "Old Calendarists" (who are also sometimes styled "Old Calendar") are to be distinguished from Orthodox Christians or Orthodox Church bodies which are on the Old Calendar. The latter use the historic Julian calendar cited above, but are in communion with the Orthodox Churches that use the New Calendar (the Revised Julian calendar
). Thus, to be "Old Calendarist" or "Old Calendar" is not the same thing as being "on the Old Calendar"; and the Russian Orthodox Church
, for instance, is not Old Calendarist (or Old Calendar), but it is on the Old Calendar. There are a great many Orthodox Christians who are (or who belong to Churches that are) on the Old Calendar, but far fewer in number are the Orthodox Christians who are Old Calendar or Old Calendarist.
The Julian Calendar is commonly opposed to the Gregorian Calendar
introduced to Christianity by the Pope during the 16th century. A revised form of the Julian Calendar, developed by the Serbia
n astronomer Milutin Milanković
, which mostly coincides with the Gregorian one, was finally adopted by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1924 as well as by the autocephalous Church of Greece
. A minority of Orthodox Christians regarded this as a surrender of the Orthodox Church to the west and to the Pope and continued following the old calendar; some of these also broke communion with those who had adopted the new calendar, thus creating their own church.
This schism is the beginning of The Old Calendar Churches who suspended full communion
and/or concelebration with other Orthodox churches ("New Calendarists
") over the adoption by the latter of the Revised Julian calendar (called "New Calendar", although some churches did not specify the details of which New calendar they were adopting). This is the most common use of the term.
Those Orthodox Churches which remain in full communion with the New Calendarists and yet continue to use the Julian calendar, include the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Serbian Orthodox Church
, and the Georgian Orthodox Church. (The Julian calendar is also used by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia which has reunited with the Russian Orthodox Church.) Mount Athos subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople also follows the Julian Calendar.
Some Orthodox Church bodies which are Old Calendarist have, in recent memory, sanctioned the practice of the New Calendar among some of their dioceses or parishes. For example, a group of parishes today known as the Bulgarian Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America
, were until 1976 a part of Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR). These parishes were permitted to practice the New Calendar, even though the rest of ROCOR was on the Old Calendar. Thus, ROCOR at that time could have been called "New Calendarist".
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
(called "Old Style Calendar" or "Church calendar" or "Old Calendar"), and whose Church body is not in communion with the Orthodox Churches that use the New Calendar. The "Old Calendarists" (who are also sometimes styled "Old Calendar") are to be distinguished from Orthodox Christians or Orthodox Church bodies which are on the Old Calendar. The latter use the historic Julian calendar cited above, but are in communion with the Orthodox Churches that use the New Calendar (the Revised Julian calendar
Revised Julian calendar
The Revised Julian calendar, also known as the Rectified Julian calendar, or, less formally, New calendar, is a calendar, originated in 1923, which effectively discontinued the 340 years of divergence between the naming of dates sanctioned by those Eastern Orthodox churches adopting it and the...
). Thus, to be "Old Calendarist" or "Old Calendar" is not the same thing as being "on the Old Calendar"; and the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
, for instance, is not Old Calendarist (or Old Calendar), but it is on the Old Calendar. There are a great many Orthodox Christians who are (or who belong to Churches that are) on the Old Calendar, but far fewer in number are the Orthodox Christians who are Old Calendar or Old Calendarist.
The Julian Calendar is commonly opposed to the Gregorian Calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
introduced to Christianity by the Pope during the 16th century. A revised form of the Julian Calendar, developed by the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n astronomer Milutin Milanković
Milutin Milankovic
Milutin Milanković was a Serbian geophysicist and civil engineer, best known for his theory of ice ages, suggesting a relationship between Earth's long-term climate changes and periodic changes in its orbit, now known as Milankovitch cycles. Milanković gave two fundamental contributions to global...
, which mostly coincides with the Gregorian one, was finally adopted by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1924 as well as by the autocephalous Church of Greece
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
. A minority of Orthodox Christians regarded this as a surrender of the Orthodox Church to the west and to the Pope and continued following the old calendar; some of these also broke communion with those who had adopted the new calendar, thus creating their own church.
This schism is the beginning of The Old Calendar Churches who suspended full communion
Full communion
In Christian ecclesiology, full communion is a relationship between church organizations or groups that mutually recognize their sharing the essential doctrines....
and/or concelebration with other Orthodox churches ("New Calendarists
New calendarists
The New calendarists are those Eastern Orthodox Churches that adopted the Revised Julian calendar, namely the Orthodox churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, and most of the Orthodox Church in America...
") over the adoption by the latter of the Revised Julian calendar (called "New Calendar", although some churches did not specify the details of which New calendar they were adopting). This is the most common use of the term.
Those Orthodox Churches which remain in full communion with the New Calendarists and yet continue to use the Julian calendar, include the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem , also known as the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, is an autocephalous Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity. Headed by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, it is regarded by Orthodox Christians as the mother church of all of...
, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
, and the Georgian Orthodox Church. (The Julian calendar is also used by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia which has reunited with the Russian Orthodox Church.) Mount Athos subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople also follows the Julian Calendar.
Some Orthodox Church bodies which are Old Calendarist have, in recent memory, sanctioned the practice of the New Calendar among some of their dioceses or parishes. For example, a group of parishes today known as the Bulgarian Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America
Orthodox Church in America Bulgarian Diocese
The Orthodox Church in America Bulgarian Diocese is one of three ethnic dioceses of the Orthodox Church in America . Its territory includes parishes, monasteries, and missions located in six states in the United States, as well as one province in Canada – California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas,...
, were until 1976 a part of Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR). These parishes were permitted to practice the New Calendar, even though the rest of ROCOR was on the Old Calendar. Thus, ROCOR at that time could have been called "New Calendarist".