1937 Miraculous Cross wrote:Dear Myrrh,
This is not a complicated matter to understand.
in Christ,
nectarios
Dear Nectarios - tempting as it is to get into a tit for tat sarcasm I really don't think it would help either of us, amusing though it might be for others.
I really do think it's a complicated matter to understand, as is all our history, because there are so many disparate threads interwoven here and sometimes we support one strand of a thread while not agreeing with the others twisted around together with it.
Have you read my post on page 18? I'll repost it at the end of this for ease of reference. I posted it to show the calendar argument in the early history of the Church before Nicaea when, and I use the word advisedly, a uniform calendar was imposed on the Church.
If we argue this from 'tradition' or 'the fathers', then this history can't be ignored. The 'fathers' didn't begin at Nicaea.
The first record of this problem that I know of is when St Polycarp the bishop of Smyrna visited St Anicetus bishop of Rome, they were both Syrians, the date is variously 155/56 or 160/62 AD. Polycarp was a disciple of St John and followed the same calendar tradition with regard to Pascha as did the rest of the East, and also used in Britain. By this time Rome and Alexandria were following a different tradition, I don't know how it originated. Polycarp and Anicetus agreed to differ and Anicetus, perhaps deferring to Polycarp's apostolic connection and great age, invited him to celebrate the Eucharist.
The "tradition of St John" is the tradition of Jerusalem in the time of the apostolic fathers. In this tradition Pascha was celebrated on 14th Nissan, the day of the Jewish Passover, whichever day of the week that fell. Pascha means Passover. This is the day our Lord was crucified and we remember that out of the twelve only John was at cross with the women. This day is not only of importance for us generally, but in particular it was remembered by John who was there to witness it. Christ is our Passover Lamb specifically, not primarily any other lamb of sacrifice in the Jewish tradition. This date therefore is of the utmost importance to us in remembering Christ our Lord and God, it is the day He chose.
The next major event in the calendar history was when Pope Victor (first African) was bishop of Rome, around 189-199 AD, again there are various dates. Africa and Rome (and some of the West, not Britain)celebrated Pascha on the first Sunday after Nissan.
It's useful here to bear in mind that at this time Rome was still the capital of the Roman Empire, greater and more extravagant in its buildings than any other city in the empire. Until Victor the liturgy was celebrated in Greek in Rome, he changed the language to Latin as used in Africa. In itself a change to the vernacular is common Orthodox practice, I only mention this because ignorance of the other's language is one strand which contributed to the misunderstandings and separation between the Latin and Greek speakers in the following centuries. Greek was the common language of the vast empire much as English is the common language of the world today.
According to accounts of the time, Victor was seen as arrogant in attempting to impose uniformity onto the Church, the uniformity of the traditions he followed. He also began the claim that he was Peter's successor much to the disdain of the bishops in the East who well knew other bishops who could claim this before Rome.. Perhaps, provincial boy makes good went to his head. 
Anyway, St Irenaeus who was a disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of John tried to calm Victor down and teach him to appreciate the lineage of those he thought inferior, because as he supposed of his importance as bishop of the capital of the empire, and he backed down on this.
I don't much care which calendar is used, but if we're arguing from tradition, as both Julian and New Calendar do, then I'll take the stand that they're both heretic systems... And I object particularly to one of crieria used in calculating both, that we don't celebrate Pascha at the same time as the Jews.
Myrrh
Irenaeus to Victor
For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp to forego the
observance [in his own way], inasmuch as these things had been
always [so] observed by John the disciples of our Lord, and by
other apostles with whom he had been conversant; nor, on the
other hand, could Polycarp succeed in persuading Anicetus to keep
[the observance in his way], for he maintained that he was bound
to adhere to the usage of the presbyters who preceded him. And in
this state of affairs they held fellowship with each other; and
Anicetus conceded to Polycarp in the Church the celebration of
the Eucharist, by way of showing him respect; so that they parted
in peace one from the other, maintaining peace with the whole
Church, both those who did observe [this custom] and those who
did not. [ANF I:569]
Polycrates
From His Epistle to Victor and the Roman Church Concerning the Day of Keeping the Passover.
As for us, then, we scrupulously observe the exact day, neither adding nor taking away. For in Asia great luminaries have gone to their rest, who shall rise again in the day of the coming of the Lord, when He cometh with glory from heaven and shall raise again all the saints. I speak of Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who is laid to rest at Hierapolis; and his two daughters, who arrived at old age unmarried; his other daughter also, who passed her life6 under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and reposes at Ephesus; John, moreover, who reclined on the Lord's bosom, and who became a priest wearing the mitre, and a witness and a teacher-he rests at Ephesus. Then there is Polycarp, both bishop and martyr at Smyrna; and Thraseas from Eumenia, both bishop and martyr, who rests at Smyrna. Why should I speak of Sagaris, bishop and martyr, who rests at Laodicea? of the blessed Papirius, moreover? and of Melito the eunuch, who performed all his actions under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and lies at Sardis, awaiting the visitation from heaven, when he shall rise again from the dead? These all kept the passover on the fourteenth. day of the month, in accordance with the Gospel, without ever deviating from it, but keeping to the rule of faith.
Moreover I also, Polycrates, who am the least of you all, in accordance with the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have succeeded-seven of my relatives were bishops, and I am the eighth, and my relatives always observed the day when the people put away the leaven-I myself, brethren, I say, who am sixty-five years old in the Lord, and have fallen in with the brethren in all parts of the world, and have read through all Holy Scripture, am not frightened at the things which are said to terrify us. For those who are greater than I have said, "We ought to obey God rather than men." ...
