Egypt Daily News – Pope Tawadros II met with Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos, Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy and a member of the Greek Parliament, along with a delegation from the Assembly, at the Papal Residence in the Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Abbassia.
The visit of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy delegation to Pope Tawadros is part of their current visit to Egypt, at the invitation of the Egyptian Parliament. During their visit, the Assembly’s International Secretariat will hold a meeting in one of the halls of the Egyptian House of Representatives, in addition to a meeting with the Speaker of Parliament.
In his speech, Secretary-General Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos praised the efforts of His Holiness the Pope in supporting Christians in Africa and the Middle East, thanking him for his eagerness to meet with the delegation. He noted that their visit to Egypt is truly special, as they have received many blessings from visiting sacred sites, including St. Catherine’s Monastery and the Monastery of Saint Bishoy in Wadi El-Natrun, along with their appreciation of Egypt’s rich history.
He also highlighted the Assembly’s initiative to unify the date of Easter for all Christians, and Dr. Ioan Vulpescu, President of the General Assembly and a member of the Romanian Parliament, presented a proposed framework for the initiative.
For his part, His Holiness the Pope welcomed his guests and spoke with them about Egypt’s leadership throughout history and the three main characteristics that distinguish the Church of Egypt:
- A Church of Teaching and Service: One of the world’s oldest theological schools, the School of Alexandria, was founded in Egypt (Alexandria).
- A Church of Martyrs: The Church has offered many martyrs throughout history, including the 21 young Egyptian martyrs who were killed in Libya ten years ago.
- The Birthplace of Monasticism: Monasticism was established in Egypt by Saint Anthony, Saint Macarius, and many other saints. Today, Egypt is home to numerous monasteries for monks and nuns.
His Holiness also emphasized the importance of the Holy Family’s journey to Egypt, which the Church commemorates with an annual feast on June 1, known as the Feast of the Entry of Christ into Egypt. The Egyptian state has also recognized this event and developed 25 sites along the Holy Family’s route, affirming Egypt as the land of saints.
Regarding the unification of the Easter date, Pope Tawadros expressed his appreciation for the Assembly’s interest in this issue. He explained his vision for unifying Easter, referring to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which designated the Church of Alexandria as responsible for determining the date of Easter each year. This tradition was upheld by Pope Alexander, who attended the council, and later by Pope Athanasius and other patriarchs, who annually announced the Easter date to churches worldwide through the Paschal Letter.
The Church of Alexandria determined the Easter date based on three conditions:
- It must fall after the vernal equinox.
- It must occur after the Jewish Passover, not before or during it.
- It must always be on a Sunday.
He pointed out that the Church of Egypt has excelled in astronomy and mathematics.
Summarizing his vision, the Pope stated that Easter could be celebrated on a unified date worldwide, even if that date varies from year to year.
He added, “The Western Church generally celebrates Easter without being tied to the Jewish Passover, whereas we observe the symbolism of Passover first and then celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.”
His Holiness expressed his hope that since Christians will celebrate Easter on the same day this year, this unity will continue in future years.
