Controversy over the Date of Easter
The First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. repudiated Quartodecimanism (Easter on the 14th of Nissan), and acknowledge exceptional authority of the patriarchs of the Churches in Alexandria and Rome over their respective regions.
So what was the big deal about the date of Easter?
Gentile vs. Jewish Christians
The Last Supper happened at Passover, which is the 14th of Nissan. Jewish Christians began celebrating the Lord's Supper on this date. Gentile Christians did not follow the Jewish Calendar, and decided to celebrate Passover on the first Sunday after the full moon after the March equinox. During the early years of the church, Jews were exiled from the city of Rome. As a result, Rome became the first all-Gentile Church for a time.
Polycarp, Anicetus and Easter
Polycarp (the disciple of John) and Anicetus (the 10th Bishop of Rome) reached an agreement around 160 A.D. regarding the date of the celebration of Easter. Their decision was to let each church decide for itself.
However, a subsequent Bishop in Rome named Victor suddenly excommunicated all the churches in Asia Minor for disagreeing with his interpretation regarding the date of the celebration of Easter (the Sunday after the passover vs. the Jewish date of the Passover). As a result, Irenaeus addressed Victor in a letter (only a fragment of which remains), warning him that if he persisted in the course on which he had entered, the effect would be to rend the Catholic Church in pieces. In 190 or 191, Irenaeus travelled to Rome to meet with Victor, who received and accepted the rebukes of Irenaeus. The debate of the date of the passover was treated independently by each Church intil the Council of Nicea.
Sixtus I was one of the first Bishops of Rome. In 117 A.D., he declared that any Bishop visiting Rome should not be accepted back without a letter of recommendation.
Sixtus' influence is in contrast to the deeds of the early Bishops of Rome, including Linus (who according to Irenaeus was mentioned by Paul in the epistle to Timothy) and Clement, the latter of which wrote to the Corinthians when they had some trouble, and said:
- submit yourselves to the presbyters, and receive correction so as to repent...For it is better for you that ye should occupy a humble but honourable place in the flock of Christ, than that, being highly exalted, ye should be cast out from the hope of His people. (The Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, CHAP. LVII)
decided that the date and order of the Passover/Eucharist became the first significant division within the Christian churches.
The first internal evidence of a Bishop exerting influence over another Bishop is Sixtus I of Rome who, in 117 AD, declared This doctrine was not accepted by the other churches at that time.
- "The pacific name [Irenaeus] bears, was rendered yet more illustrious by his interposition to compose the Easter Controversy, then threatening to impair, if not to destroy, the unity of the Church. The beautiful concordat between East and West, in which Polycarp and Anicetus had left the question, was now disturbed by Victor, Bishop of Rome, whose turbulent spirit would not accept the compromise of his predecessor. Irenaeus remonstrates with him in a catholic spirit, and overrules his impetuous temper. " [1]
- "At the Council of Nice, the rule for the observance of Easter was finally settled by the whole Church; and the forbearing example of Irenaeus, no doubt contributed greatly to this happy result." [2]
The Bishops in Rome continued with this feeling of supremacy until Polycarp, frusterated by their attempts to influence the other churches over trivial matters, traveled to Rome personally and laid to rest the issue of the date of the Passover/Eucharist. Anicetus (the then Bishop of Rome) submitted to Polycarp's rebuke, and agreed that each church should have the right to determine the date of the Passover/Eucharist independantly.
Polycarp also influenced Anicetus to condemn certain heresies with more vigor.
The Life of Columba - Book I
CHAPTER III. Prophecy of St. Columba regarding Ernene, son of Crasen.
- But during this short time that the saint was a guest in the monastery of Clon, there were many other things also which he prophesied by the revelation of the Holy Ghost; as, for instance, about the discord which arose a long time after among the churches of Scotia (Ireland), on account of the difference with regard to the Easter Feast;
Abbot Segene of Iona sent Aedan as a missionary to evangelize Northumbria (England), and disputed with Pope Severinus in 638 over the date of Easter. Aedan converted the English simply by walking from village to village, politely conversing, and slowly winning their hearts to Christ, and established a Monastary at Lindisfarne. Aedan was succeded by Finan and then Colman. Colman was eventually evicted by the Christian Northumbrians after they accepted the Roman date of Easter (which the Ionian monks strongly protested), and he returned to Iona and later established a monastary on the island of Inishbofin off the west coast of Ireland, which remained until the 10th Century.
Adomnan continued in Columba's footsteps, and at one point convinced 51 kings to sign the "Cain Adomnan", protecting children, women, the clergy, students, and peasants during times of war. After Adomnan, Conomail of Iona became very involved with the Easter controversy, and was finally replaced under questionable circumstances by Dunchad. Dunchad quickly adopted the Roman date of Easter, and established ties with Rome. At the same time, King Nechtan IV of the Picts expelled all of the Ionian monks as he wished to remain free from both Rome and Northumbrian influence.
The politics of the Roman Church brought about the fall of Iona, which was readily apparent to the Pictish kings. Lindisfarne was sacked by the Vikings in 793, and Iona in 795.
Footnotes
- ↑ INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO IRENAEUS AGAINST HERESIES, Vol. I Ante-Nicene Fathers 309
- ↑ INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO IRENAEUS AGAINST HERESIES, Vol. I Ante-Nicene Fathers 309