As discussed last week, in 1582 the Gregorian calendar – under which we operate - was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII to bring the old Julian calendar into line with the science of Earth’s orbit around the sun.
So October 4th, 1582, was followed October 15th, 1582, the first day of the new Gregorian calendar, with the intervening days disappearing into a hole the likes of which wasn’t heard of again until Alice in Wonderland was published in 1865. Neither sight or light of them since.
As fascinating as those `missing’ days remain, so too was a slow acceptance of the Gregorian calendar throughout the world. This was rooted in Protestant suspicion of what Rome might be up to but, eventually, most of the Western world was persuaded by science and adopted the new calendar.
In the early 20th century Pope Gregory’s writ was extended to include even the new, godless Soviet world. As a result, Russia’s October Revolution became its November Revolution. In January 1918, by decree of Vladimir Lenin, the October 25th 1917 Revolution was declared to have taken place on November 7th of that year.
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Gregory XIII’s papal bull `Inter gravissimas’ in 1582 disappeared 10 days, but Lenin’s `Sovnarkom’ decree of January 24th, 1918, went even better, by announcing that January 31st, 1918, was to be followed by February 14th, 1918.
A hop, skip and jump to Valentine’s Day.
Still, and proving the oldest rows are the deepest, some remain unmoved. The Eastern Orthodox Churches stick by the old Julian calendar and celebrate Christmas Day on January 7th every year. They separated from Western Christendom in the Great Schism of 1054 when both spheres of Christianity – in equal and apposite reaction - excommunicated one another.
Of more immediate significance on this island is that, according to the Julian calendar, the Battle of the Boyne took place on July 1st,1690. However, since Britain’s changeover to Pope Gregory’s calendar in 1752, it is commemorated on July 12th every year.
Following in the Pope’s `footsteps’ was not a normal pattern for Protestant Britain but, in this instance, who could complain? Didn’t Pope Innocent XI himself order the singing of a Te Deum in thanks to God on hearing of William of Orange’s victory at the Boyne.
Te Deum, from Latin Te Deum laudamus, for ‘Thee, O God, we praise’.
