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The controversy over the calendar in Corfu, 1582-1588

• Τσίτας, Αθανάσιος Χ.

When, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII decided to introduce the new calendar bearing his name to replace the outdated Julian calendar, he tried to impose it in the parts of the Greek Orthodox East under Roman Catholic (mostly Venetian) rule. In the island of Corfu, this attempt provoked a strong reaction among the orthodox population: the old calendar, albeit erroneous, was considered by them as part of their religious tradition, so they were not willing to abandon it in favor of a calendar devised by their arch-enemy, the Pope. That reaction, combined with the intransigent attitude of Corfu’s Catholic bishop Bernardino Suriano, posed a serious threat to peace and order in the island, since it divided the two communities, orthodox and catholic. The author presents the decree of the Duke and the Senate of Venice by which the Venetian Republic instructs its ambassador at Rome to urge the Holy Seat not to impose the revised calendar in Corfu. Examining in detail the aforementioned decree of 1587, the author shows that the authorities of the Republic, in spite of their devotion to Catholicism, did not want religious controversies to spoil their political agenda favoring the unity of all Christians against Ottoman threat. Finally, Duke Pasquale Cicogna, known for his political subtlety, succeeded in imposing his views, and the confrontation in Corfu ended in 1588.

• Philosophy, Ethics and Religion

• Church history
• Θεολογία