A Common Resurrection

Why Pope Leo XIV’s Call for a Unified Easter Should Matter to You and Me

I didn’t expect to feel anything when I read the news—just another Vatican headline, I thought. But there it was: Pope Leo XIV is advocating for a unified Easter date across all Christian churches. And suddenly, it hit me harder than I expected.

We’ve lived with different calendars for so long that we hardly question it. Catholics and Protestants often celebrate Easter on one date. Eastern Orthodox Christians—on another. But this isn’t just about the calendar. It’s about a fractured Body of Christ. And Pope Leo XIV’s message at an ecumenical symposium in Rome on June 7, 2025, was simple but profound: let’s rise together.

The Heart Behind the Call

Pope Leo said celebrating Easter on the same day “would be a powerful witness of unity to the world.” He’s not the first pope to suggest it, but he’s pressing it with sincerity and urgency. His reference to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, where Church leaders originally agreed to a unified Easter date, reminds us this idea isn’t modern. It's ancient. And long overdue.

This isn’t about forcing conformity. It’s about longing for communion. Imagine Christians across traditions—Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant—celebrating Christ’s resurrection on the same Sunday. One Church. One voice. One risen Savior.

That’s not politics. That’s Pentecost.