While attending the day dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Orthodox Center of Chambésy (Geneva), the Ecumenical Patriarch  Bartholomew received a delegation from the Secretariat of Jesus Celebration 2033 on 22 April 2017. This project invites churches to come together to celebrate the two thousand years of the death and resurrection of Christ in the year 2033 and to be common witnesses together.

The Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized the centrality of the resurrection in the Orthodox Church: “The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. Without it our message is empty. We celebrate Easter with enthusiasm. This feast is the most important in the Orthodox Church, more so than in any other church. The joy of the resurrection dwells in us and we sing it with all creation”.

The project of “Jesus Celebration 2033” also raises the delicate question of the common date of Easter. To this day, Orthodox Churches celebrate Easter on a different date than Catholic and Protestant churches.

Nearing the end of the meeting, the Patriarch invoked the Holy Spirit’s guidance and appointed Archbishop Job of Telmessos, Permanent Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the World Council of Churches, to be the liaison of this project for the Patriarchate.