02/04/2023 3:02 pm (act. 02/04/2023 03:06 pm)
Palm Sunday Mass was celebrated in front of thousands of worshipers in St. Peter’s Square. © AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia
At the start of Holy Week, Pope Francis celebrated Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. He asked the faithful to pray even more intensely for peace in Ukraine.
After leaving the “Agostino Gemelli” hospital in Rome on Saturday after a four-day hospital stay, Pope Francis celebrated the liturgical celebration of Palm Sunday as the beginning of Holy Week on Sunday morning. The Pope arrived in St. Peter’s Square by car and got off near the obelisk to perform the rite of blessing the olive branches in front of 60,000 faithful.
Pope calls for intense prayers for peace in Ukraine
Francis wore a white robe over which he wore the red stole for the liturgy of blessing. Pilgrims gathered in Rome waved olive branches in greeting. These commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. A procession of around 100 young people, bishops and cardinals marched from St. Peter’s Square to the altar in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. There the Pope celebrated Holy Mass together with the Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri. The Pope walked down the aisle with a cane.
Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square
The square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica was decorated with flowers from Holland. Thousands of chairs were set up for visitors in the days leading up to the celebration. The Pope thanked the pilgrims for their prayers for his recovery. He also commemorated the sufferings of the Ukrainian people. He asked the faithful to pray more intensely for peace in Ukraine during Holy Week.
Palm Sunday Mass kicks off “Holy Week”
Some 1.7 billion Catholic and Protestant Christians around the world begin “Semana Santa” on Palm Sunday, the high point of the religious year. On the Sunday before Easter, palm branches are traditionally carried in church procession, blessed with holy water, and then placed behind crucifixes in homes. The Palm Sunday liturgy commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and marks the beginning of the Holy Week liturgy.
Pope Francis wants to celebrate Easter services as planned
After his release from the hospital, Pope Francis will celebrate Holy Week and Easter Day services as planned. The Vatican confirmed the celebration of Mass on Holy Thursday, which usually includes the rite of foot washing. Francis will head to the Casal del Marmo juvenile prison in northwest Rome for the occasion. Francis has been visiting prisons on Maundy Thursday for years and holding a service with the prisoners in memory of Jesus’ Last Supper, at which he washed his disciples’ feet. This gesture of humility is still part of the Holy Thursday service.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni initially left it open whether the pope would also participate in the traditional Good Friday Via Crucis at the Colosseum. Because of the still cold temperatures in Rome at night, it is widely expected that Francis will cancel this appointment because of his health.
The Pope was hospitalized for several days because of bronchitis
The pope will reportedly preside over Easter week services as planned, while a cardinal celebrates at the altar. This division has been practiced in the Vatican for about a year because the Pope’s mobility is severely restricted due to knee problems.
Francis was treated for bronchitis at the Gemelli Clinic in Rome from Wednesday to Saturday morning. The 86-year-old was hospitalized on Wednesday and treated with antibiotics for “infectious bronchitis”. Francis’ stay in the hospital has fueled speculation about a possible resignation by the head of the church.