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From what I gather, the calendar of the Eastern Catholic churches has not been modified in a long time (a good thing).

As you may or may not know the Latin calendar was "messed with/gutted" in 1911, 1955, 1960 and 1970 in a major ways and in minor ways at other times.

I'm wondering how you all feel in terms of the stability of the eastern calendar. Are things ever "hacked out" or new saints added. Are entire seasons tossed out (the Latin Septuagesima season comes to mind)?

I realize there is a riff between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. My interest/concern is whether or not not the "new" calendar is tinkered with on an ongoing bases.

Thanks,

Matt

Matt, nothing really gets taken away, or "gutted" as in the case of the Latin calendar. Yes, new saints are added. We don't ascribe to the frequent "move it to Sunday" transferral approach that is common in many Latin dioceses.

The inconsistencies come in the form of particular commemorations. There are are certain churches that have commemorations that may not be on the calendar of another Church - for example the Bulgarians may have a saint not on the Serbian calendar, a particular wonder-working icon venerated by the Russians and not the Greeks, etc.
FDD

The attitudes of various hierarchies to the calendar and its commemorations can be very telling.

When my former bishop, Antonii of Augsburg, was in discussions with the Russian Orthodox Old Rite Church, one of the explosive issues was the calendar.

The issue was not to do with Old or New style, but to do with the appropriateness of certain commemorations.

The crux of the matter was that, in Britain, we were commanded NOT to make any commemoration of the ancient British saints. We pointed out that Britain was producing martyrs whilst the Rus were worshipping Perun and their whole host of idols. The answer was simple. Roman martyrs like Alban, monks such as Brendan, nuns such as Bridget, hierarchs such as David and Patrick, passion-bearers such as Edward, Royal martyrs such as Edmund, were not on THE calendar.

What is THE calendar, we asked ourselves, knowing full well that prior to the dawn of printing Old Orthodoxy in Russia was as localised and diverse as that in any other land. Clealy there was 9and still IS) the belief that there is 'A' calendar and that commemorations are fine once the name is listed in the calendar and synaxarion. If saints aren't on there, then, somehow, they're not canonical!

Do other Byzantine Churches face this problem?

Khristos voskrese -
Mark, monk and sinner.

Dear Father Mark,
Христос Воскресе! There is not now and never has been a "universal calendar of Saints". I suppose with modern computers it would be possible to compile one and go on compiling it as an exercise in futility, but the moment one would publish it in hard copy, at least six Local Churches would canonize some more Saints.
To add to all the confusion, there are lots of people who for reasons of their own like venerating Saints of Churches with whom in this world they are not in full communion - such as Saint Ambrose of Bielaia Krinitsa, to take an obvious example. No doubt at least some people would find this horrific - but honest, they don't have competing jurisdictions in Heaven (Hell, on the other hand . . . oh, never mind!).

Somehow we can all manage.

Incognitus

Христос Воскресе!
I've noticed at times we can focus on the externals and loose sight of our real callings to be Christians. I can see where people could get upset about a particular saint not being on "the calender." But what of not celebrating Pascha according to the traditional way? Certainly that has changed at some point in many Byzantine rite Catholic Churches last century.

The large majority of Greek-Catholics continue to observe the traditional Paschalia. Those who do not might want to reconsider the matter.

Incognitus

Father I.,
True, if I remember correctly the Eparchy of Toronto for the Ukrainians uses the traditional Paschal calculation as does the Romanian (I know the monastery in California does)Byzantine Catholics.
I like Father Mark's comments about how everyone believes in the proverbial calender that doesn't actually exist.
For instance.
Let's say in Ruthenia they love St. Melk.
St. Melk isn't on the calender. However, the locals celebrate his Feast Day with a great procession and a huge pyrohy party after the 4 hour combined akathist-matins-vespers-and Liturgy.
So at the local level there are some barriers to celebrating a saint even if she isn't on the calender?
I do know the old calender Ukrainian Orthodox (EP) and the old calender ACROD are the same. Same saints and everything.
Another thing is,
Last Sunday was St. Alexis Toth's day. The place I was at didn't sing his Troparion. I still remembered him.

You go to school together?

ICXC
NIKA

Rofl... I meant that even though his memory wasn't spoke of during his feast day I still celebrated his memory. Of course, you know that is what I meant, but I figured I would clarify since I did leave myself open for that one.

I agree with Incognitus about the lack of a universal calendar. Calendars are arbitrary, contrived creations and there is no "true" or "right" calendar. As I have said in other posts, Christmas and Easter are arbitrary dates that are not actual anniversaries of the events they commemorate. The calendar dispute is just something to bicker about - or maybe a smug and superior attemt by some to feel "we are right, they are wrong." I suspect all the church calendars are inaccurate. Now if we put the effort into evangelization that we put into bickering about trivialities.... What am I thinking? It will never happen.

ByzanTn,
the Paschal calculation is a bit different. Pascha is to be celebrate AFTER the Jewish passoever... as our Pascha is a completion of the passover. Yes, I am aware of the calculation and how it is done, but from what I've gathered, the significance is the part of celebrating after the Jewish celebration.