Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration
- Maximilian of Theveste, martyr
- Peter, Gorgonius, and Dorotheus, martyrs
- Paul Aurelian, bishop
- Theophanes the Chronicler, abbot
- Alphege of Winchester, bishop
- Bernard of Capua, bishop
- Fina or Seraphina, virgin [1]
Today, March 12, is the commemoration of 4 martyrs, 3 bishops, 1 abbot and 1 virgin in the Catholic Church.
The abbot commemorated today is St. Theophanes the Chronicler (d. ca. 817 A.D.)
St. Theophanes was from Constantinople and was left a large fortune when his father died. He grew up at the court of Emperor Constantine V. He married, but after both his wife and himself agreed to separate for matters of vocation, Theophanes became a monk and his wife became a nun.
Theophanes built monasteries on Mount Sigriana and on the island of Kalonymos. After six years he became abbot of Mount Sigriana.
In the Council of Nicaea in 787 A.D., Theophanes supported the decrees approving the veneration of sacred images and fought against its heresy - iconoclasm. This led to a conflict with Emperor Leo the Armenian who supported iconoclasm. When Theophanes did not accede to the iconoclastic policies of Emperor Leo, he was arrested, maltreated and banished to Samothrace. It was here that he died on March 12 from all the ill treatment that he received since his imprisonment.
Theophanes is called the "Chronicler" because of his Chronographia - a historical writing that covered the years 284-813 A.D. [2]
Saints in the Byzantine Calendar [March 12]
- Theophan of Syngria
- Gregory the Great, Pope of Rome
Today, 2 Saints are commemorated in the Orthodox Churches that follow the Byzantine Calendar: St. Theophan and St. Gregory the Great. St. Theophan is the same as the St. Theophanes that the Catholic Church also commemorates today. St. Gregory the Great, Pope of Rome, is commemorated in the Catholic Church every September 3. What is common among these two Saints is that both of them were writers.
Understanding the Differences in Dates of Commemoration
The bigger context of difference in the Dates of Commemoration of Saints is understood from the perspective of the key differences between Roman Catholicism, Eastern Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Churches. The more specific context of the differences can be gleaned from the adoption of either the Julian Calendar or the Gregorian Calendar.
Roman Catholicism and Eastern Catholic Churches:
Eastern Catholic Churches have their own distinct liturgical rites, traditions, and canon law, but they are in full communion with the Pope. This means they recognize his authority and share the same core beliefs. Therefore, they are not separate churches, but rather churches "sui iuris" (of their own law) within the one Catholic Church.
Eastern Orthodox Churches:
The Great Schism of 1054 A.D. marked the formal separation between the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church. Eastern Orthodox Churches are indeed independent and self-governing, with each church typically headed by its own patriarch or archbishop. They do not recognize the Pope's universal jurisdiction. While there can be respectful dialogue and relations between the Eastern Orthodox and the Catholic Church, they are currently not in full communion. Orthodox Christians respect the bishop of Rome as one of the ancient patriarchs, but do not recognize his supreme authority.
Here's a simplified breakdown:
Catholic Church:
- Includes Roman Catholic Church (Latin Rite)
- Includes Eastern Catholic Churches (various rites)
- All united under the Pope.
Eastern Orthodox Churches:
- Independent churches (e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox)
- Do not recognize the Pope's universal authority.
- Separated from the Catholic church in 1054 A.D.
In essence, the key difference lies in the recognition of papal authority. Eastern Catholics accept it, while Eastern Orthodox Churches do not [3]. The difference therefore in the commemoration of the Saints from all these Churches spring from the difference in liturgical rites and adherence to traditional dates or changes in them due to the schisms and decentralizations of Church structures that occured in historical development of the Churches. Another contributing factor is the use of calendars: either the Julian Calendar or the Gregorian Calendar.
The Julian Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar
The Byzantine calendar is based on the Julian calendar, but with the year starting on September 1st and using an Anno Mundi (Year of the World) epoch, rather than the Anno Domini (A.D., Year of our Lord) as used in the West. The Byzantine calendar, used by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Byzantine Empire, fundamentally followed the Julian calendar.
Unlike Western Europe, the Byzantine world never adopted the Anno Domini system, which counts years from the birth of Jesus.
While the Gregorian calendar was reformed in the West in 1582 A.D. to correct for the drift in the Julian calendar, it was not widely adopted in the East, and many churches continued using the Julian calendar for liturgical purposes. Some Orthodox churches, like the Russian Orthodox Church, still use the Julian calendar today to calculate the dates of moveable feasts, while other churches use the Revised Julian calendar for fixed dates [4].
References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results
- [1] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon
- [2] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
- [3] Prompt to Gemini, "clarify this: roman catholicism and eastern catholics with their own rites and liturgies, but loyal to the roman pontiff, are united as one catholic church. eastern orthodox churches are independent christian churches that separated from rome in 1054 A.D. with the great schism", March 12, 2025
- [4] AI Overview for the search query "does the byzantine calendar follow the julian or the gregorian calendar?", Google.com, March 12, 2025
