The number 26 placed over the 25 shows Lilius’ first error in giving to that lunation only 29 days. He thereby makes a difference of 12 days between the epact 14 and 26, and only 10 between 26 and 6. He now has two epacts of the same number 26. In order to get out of the dilemma he makes that 27, by giving to another lunation only 29 days.
K.—PAGE [122-3].
It will probably be noticed that according to the showing in the tables the ecclesiastical year contains only 364 days. The reason for this is, that Advent Sunday, which is the first day of the year, happens one day earlier every year until it occurs on the 27th of November, its earliest possible date; then the first Sunday after the 26th of November, which is Advent Sunday, falls on the 3d of December, its latest possible date, so that the year begins six days later, making a year of 371 days. Then there is the loss of a day every year until Advent Sunday again falls on the 27th of November and so on. Hence, did the civil year always consist of 365 days, then the ecclesiastical year would always contain either 364 or 371 days. But as every fourth year contains 366 days, this order is so interrupted that sometimes the first Sunday falls on the 2d instead of the 3d of December; so that the year begins only five days later, making a year of only 370 days. Hence the ecclesiastical year may consist of either 364, 370 or 371 days. But five times out of six it will contain only 364 days.
L.—PAGE [83].
But why did the Pope, in correcting the Julian calendar in 1582, not correct the whole error of thirteen days? Why did he leave the three days uncorrected? This question has been asked an hundred times, but a correct answer has never yet been given. Some say that the Pope did according to his best ability, and would make us believe that neither he nor his astronomers knew what the error was. This is not true, for history records the fact of the error, and just what that error was. He simply did not want to correct the three days, and for good reasons, which we shall endeavor to show; reasons which every churchman ought to know.
When Cæsar formed his calendar, 46 B. C., the vernal equinox fell on the 24th of March. At the meeting of the Council of Nice, in 325, it had fallen back to the 21st, the error being three days in about 400 years. Now it should be borne in mind that the Julian calendar was the only one in use at that time, and for the next 1257 years, when in 1582, it was corrected by Pope Gregory XIII. Easter, and all the movable feasts, had been unsettled during the 1257 years intervening, from the Council of Nice to Gregory, on account of the errors of the Julian calendar. The Easter question had been the cause of a good deal of discussion between the Eastern and Western churches during the second and third centuries, as they could not agree on the day of the week on which that event should be celebrated.
The Western churches observed the nearest Sunday to the full moon of Nisan. The Asiatics, on the other hand, adopted the 14th of Nisan upon which to commemorate the crucifixion, and observed the festival of Easter on the third day following, upon whatever day of the week that might fall. Finally, the Council of Nice was convened, and the matter came before that council, and a reconciliation was accomplished. It was then and there agreed by the two parties that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon that falls upon or next following the day of the vernal equinox, and that the 21st of March should be accounted the day of the vernal equinox.