News from Italy
Pope Francis celebrates Mass on Palm Sunday
Vita gazette – The Pope, discharged from the hospital yesterday, celebrated Mass on Palm Sunday today.
A few hours after leaving the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he was hospitalised for three days, Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Palm Sunday. The pontiff arrived in the popemobile near the obelisk, in the centre of the square, for the rite of blessing of the olive branches.
Still recovering from hospitalisation, Pope Francis wore his white coat, over which the red stole was placed for the liturgy of blessing. The voice sounded a little weak. Bergoglio blessed those present – laymen and prelates – who were holding olive branches (from Umbria) and palm branches (brought from the Neocatechumenal Way) with water from a sprinkler.
At the end of the blessing, Bergoglio got back into the white jeep, and with a woven palm in his hand, he reached the altar from where he celebrated mass.
In Christianity, Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. The significance of this day stems from the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem on the Sunday before his death. Hearing of Jesus’ arrival in the city, the people gathered to greet him. He lined his path with palm leaves, flowering branches, and fabrics. Some took off their cloaks and laid them on the ground. Recognising Him as their King, they showered praises such as “Blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord” and “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
Before entering Jerusalem for the final time, Jesus asked two of His disciples to bring Him a donkey’s foal, also known as a colt. So Jesus entered Jerusalem riding the colt to fulfil the Old Testament prophecy.
Many people came to greet Jesus and covered His path with palm leaves, flowering branches and cloth. Then, recognising Him as their King, they shouted praises such as “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord” and “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
Noted that from Old Testament times, the waving of palm branches accompanied the chanting of “Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord.”
Catholics, Orthodox and some Protestant Churches celebrate the anniversary. The current liturgical calendar of the Roman liturgy is also called De Passione Domini Sunday (of the Lord’s passion). However, before the liturgical reform, the Sunday before Palme was called Passion Sunday, and the latter was called “the second Sunday of passion.”
One week following Palm Sunday is Easter Sunday. “At Easter, the people sing hallelujah. Hallelujah means ‘praise ye the Lord Jehovah,’” Elder Gong said, citing the Bible Dictionary, “Hallelujah.”
In the Catholic liturgical calendar, Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday but does not end Lent, which will end only with the celebration of the ninth hour of Holy Thursday, the day on which, with the evening celebration, the sacred Easter triduum will begin.
In remembrance of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the Palm Sunday liturgy starts from a location outside the church where the faithful gather, and the priest blesses the olive or palm branches brought by the faithful. Then, the procession begins right inside the church. Once arrived here, the celebration of mass continues with the extended reading of the Passio, that is, the story of the Passion of Jesus taken from the Gospels of Mark, Luke and Matthew, depending on the liturgical year; before the liturgical reform of the text of Matthew was always read. The story of the Passion is read by three people who play the part of Christ (read by the priest), the chronicler and the people (including some characters).
On this Sunday, the priest, unlike all the others of Lent (except the fourth in which he can wear pink vestments), is dressed in red.