Have a wonderful Return To Orthodoxy Day. Today we celebrate the Orthodox date of the failed attempt to return formerly Orthodox lands in Europe to the True Faith. On October 31st 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany. Today is the 506th anniversary of this event on the Julian Calendar.
The Julian Calendar was established as the Church Calendar at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The Julian Calendar was univesally accepted by all Christians up until 16th century.
It is interesting that both the papists and reformers embraced the calendar change of Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. It is also interesting that the reformers were initially unwilling to move away from the Orthodox Julian Calendar. It took over a hundred years for them to accept the papal innovation.
Adoption of Papal Calendar in Protestant lands.
1700 – Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands
1752 – British Lands
1753 – Sweden
1760 – Lorraine
1811 – Swiss Canton of Grisons
1918 – Russia adopted the new calendar shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution.
1923 – Greece adopted the new calendar shortly after their revolution.
Take this opportunity to wish your friends and loved ones a blessed Return To Orthodoxy Day.
