Pope ushers in Holy Week with Palm Sunday

April 14, 2014 - Pope Francis ushered in Holy Week for Christians, celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in Rome's Peter's Square for an estimated 100,000 faithful from around the world. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, with people welcoming him waving palm and olive branches. Palm Sunday introduces Christians into the Holy Week that commemorates the greatest mysteries of their faith, namely: the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus from death.
Setting aside his prepared text altogether, Pope Francis delivered an impromptu homily urging the faithful to think and find out what role they are playing from among the numerous characters and groups in the long narrative of the Lord's passion from Matthew's Gospel, starting from preparation for the Last Supper to the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus.
During this week, he said, “We would do well to ask just one question: who am I? Who am I, before my Lord? Who am I, who enters into Jerusalem in celebration? Am I able to express my joy, to praise Him? Or do I keep distant? Who am I, before Jesus Who suffers?” The Holy Father recalled the characters and people such as Pilate, Simon of Cyrene, the holy women including Jesus' Mother, Joseph of Arimathea, his disciples and Judas and ask oneself : “Where is my heart? Which of these people do I resemble most?” “Am I like Judas, who pretends to love and kisses the master to hand him over, to betray him? Am I a traitor?” he reflected. Or am I like Pilate, who refuses to assume responsibility washing his hands when the situation gets tough?
On Palm Sunday, the Catholic Church also marks World Youth Day (WYD) at the diocesan level. It is celebrated in an international way every two to three years in a venue chosen by the Pope. Last July, the Pope celebrated it Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and next one is scheduled for 2016 in Krakow, Poland. In his ‘Angelus’, after the communion service on Palm Sunday, Pope Francis reminded all about the theme of Krakow meet: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Mt 5,7). He recalled how 30 years ago John Paul II entrusted the WYD Cross to the youth, exhorting them to “carry it through all the world as a sign of Christ’s love for humanity.” At this point, a WYD delegation from Brazil handed to its counterpart from Poland the WYD Cross, which had stood in Saint Peter’s Square throughout the Mass. Pope Francis also recalled the young people of Asia, saying he was going to meet them at the Asian Youth Day in Daejeon, South Korea, on August 15.
At the end of the Mass the Pope went on his popemobile greeting the crowd, and at a certain point hopped off to pose for "selfies" with young people from Rio de Janeiro. He also sipped tea passed to him from the crowd.
Pope Francis has a busy schedule this Holy Week with the Easter triduum. On Holy Thursday, he will preside at two services, including one where he will wash and kiss the feet of elderly people in a nursing home to commemorate Jesus' gesture of humility to his apostle on the night before he died. For the second straight year, the Argentine Pope, whose has said the Church must be closer to the poor and suffering, is holding the event outside one of Rome's basilicas. Last year he held Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord's Supper at a juvenile detention centre of Rome, where he washed and kissed the feet of women and Moslems inmates. On Good Friday and Holy Saturday he is due to preside at three services leading up the Easter Sunday, when he delivers his Easter "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing and message. A week later, April 27, he will declare Popes John XXIII and John Paul II saints, an event for which Rome is bracing itself for a huge number of pilgrims.