Why could we not all just agree on one calculation?

The date of Easter has nothing to do with dogma or theology; it has to do with how we count time!

The sin of our division causes Jesus, in a mystical way, to suffer because we are not allowing His Holy Spirit to apply the unity that Jesus achieved in unifying His Family by His Passion, Death and Resurrection. Were it in our ability, or were we given the opportunity to so something about this and have one unified date of Easter so that Christians all over the world stand united celebrating the Resurrection, would we choose to do it?

If you answer yes to this question then please read further and consider as to whether you are prepared to take one small step to let your voice be heard in a gesture to heal the wounds of division that the Church suffers from.

Take a small step towards unity

First step: A general petition is being signed and gathered with an anticipated number of one million signatures.

Second step: With the signed petition, a templated letter will then be available for interested individuals to take to their respective Bishop/or the equivalent in the respective denominations, whose sphere of influence this articulated concern lies within.

How will my signature count and what will this petition achieve?

Because our aim on the OneDate site is for lay people to exercise their baptismal grace that God revealed in I Peter 2: 9-10, “but you are a chosen race, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, a people to be a personal possession to sing praises to God who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were a non-people and now you are the People of God; once you were outside his pity; now you have received pity” This does not take away the other charism of God, the ordained Bishops/or the equivalent in the respective denominations, but it is lay people exercising their God-given baptismal charism, which God has also given to His Church.

“The laity derive the right and duty with respect to the apostolate from their union with Christ their Head. Incorporated into Christ's Mystical Body through baptism and stengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit through confirmation, they are assigned to the apostolate by the Lord himself” Paragraph 3, Apostolate of the Laity, Second Vatican Council.

This petition from Christians around the world is Christians exercising their Apostolate in the life of Christ's Church.

“Christ, the great Prophet, who proclaimed the kingdom of His Father by the testimony of His life and the power of His words, continually fulfills His prophetic office until His full glory is revealed. He does this not only through the hierarchy who teach in His name and with His authority, but also through the laity. For that very purpose He made them His witnesses and gave them understanding of the faith (sensus fidei) and the grace of speech (Acts 2:17 - 18, Apoc 19:10)” Paragraph 35, Document on the Church (Lumen Gentium), Second Vatican Council.

This petition is also the laity around the world, exercising their teaching (prophetic) role together with the hierarchy in the life of Christ's Church.

It is therefore not only necessary to have the proof in form of the signatures, but that the petition is additionally taken by members of the different denominations that make up the church to respective clerics in its hierarchy. This will be done in the hope that this will serve as a leverage of change by these clerics then having evidence that there is a desire from the people of Christ to demonstrate unity of the heart and celebrate this great feast as one Christian family, not splintered, fragmented and divided.

Each person who has signed the petition and opted to be contacted, will be notified by email when different milestones are reached, eg. 10,000 signatures, 100,000 signatures. Once a critical mass has been achieved, individuals who have agreed to contact their local Bishop/or the equivalent in the respective denominations, can then access a templated letter from OneDate.org to take to their designated Church leader. Bishops/or the equivalent in the respective denominations have the greatest potential to act as agents of change and this voice from the people of the Church lies within their sphere of influence. It will then be each individual's responsibility (from whichever denomination) to update themselves through contacting the Bishops/or the equivalent in the respective denominations as to what progress has been made from their part. This truly can be a voice of unity if everyone follows these two simple steps.

An ongoing process of contacting different Ecumenical and Church web sites and related blogs is underway to help raise awareness of this petition by linking to this website.

You can help by linking to this website and/or informing your friends that the petition exists and encouraging them to sign it.

Complementary strategies need to be in the form of raising awareness in the churches of the importance of unifying the dates of Easter; Soliciting prayer support for the effort that our Christian religious leaders obtain the needed grace to make the date of Easter ONE Date.

There are 2 billion Christians in the world, we all have a part to play, given to us by Jesus, in helping to bring unity to these 2 billion Christians. By signing this petition for the celebration of Easter on one date by all Christians, we Christians from around the world, can do something practical that will help to bring full unity to the one Church that Jesus established 2000 years ago.