FinermanWorks

I’d wish you a Happy 2007 but I’d be at least four years too late!

According to the most charitable calculation, next year will be A.D. 2011. The mistake dates back to the early sixth century. Until then, even the Church was using the pagan calendar. That chronology was based on the legendary founding of Rome; as a cross-reference, it also cited the reign of the prevailing tyrant. For example, if you check the Vatican archives, the notarized date for the Nicene Creed would read “in the 1,078th year of Rome and in the 19th year of Constantine.” Western Civilization obviously needed a shorter and less pagan date.

In the 1278th year of Rome (alias A.D. 525), the church finally converted its calendar. The new chronology, based upon the birth of Jesus, was calculated by a mathematical monk named Dionysius Exiguus. Dionysius is not the most trustworthy name for a mathematician or a monk. In fairness, however, the poor guy was doing division with Roman numerals. It is amazing that his chronology was wrong by only four years. The Church apparently caught the error, because Dionysius was not made a saint. Yet, it never corrected that mistake. The Church seems to be quite ecumenical about arithmetic.

Ironically, the Reformation never brought up the mistake, either. You would have thought that Martin Luther would have rubbed it in. The boisterous German described one Pope as a syphilitic dung beetle, so he hardly would be shy about an accounting discrepancy. Yet, on this subject, Luther was discreet. Jean Calvin and John Knox were also surprisingly silent. You would expect them to wish you a Dour but mathematically precise New Year.

So, apparently all of Christendom is going along on the cover-up. Then so will I. (I don’t want to incite another 1900 years of persecution.) 2007 it is–and have a Happy One.

Eugene