Share

Pope Francis blesses palm branches as he ushers in Holy Week

Share

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis warned against being judgmental and too full of oneself, including authorities in the Catholic church, in his Palm Sunday homily during Mass in St. Peter’s Square, which was crowded with tens of thousands of pilgrims, tourists and Romans.

The day ushers in Holy Week, which will include Way of the Cross processions around the world to commemorate the Passion, or suffering, of Jesus on Good Friday and his death by crucifixion.

Palm Sunday services recall the cries and gestures of triumph by onlookers when Jesus entered Jerusalem. But not long after, according to the New Testament, the public’s mood changed, and Jesus was arrested, mocked, scourged and executed.

“Festive acclamations and brutal torture: the silence of Jesus throughout his Passion is profoundly impressive,” Francis said in his homily.

The pope cautioned against the temptation of “triumphalism,” which he said feeds itself by “looking askance at others and constantly judging them inferior, wanting, failures.”

Francis added that “one subtle form of triumphalism is spiritual worldliness, which represents the greatest danger, the most treacherous temptation threatening the church.” He recommended humility as a way to counter such temptations.

The Catholic church in the last decades has been rocked by revelations of pedophilia and other sex abuse by clergy and often systematic cover-ups of that by its hierarchy. The scandals have engulfed even bishops and cardinals and shaken the trust of countless rank-and-file faithful in the church.

Sprinkling holy water, Francis blessed palm fronds and olive branches clutched by pilgrims, tourists and Romans before Mass began. He watched from steps at the foot of the obelisk in the center of the square as prelates, holding dried, braided palms, formed a circle around him. Then, cradling a braided palm, he joined a solemn procession to a canopied altar set up outside St. Peter’s Basilica.

Francis also invited people to pray for peace, especially in the Holy Land and the Middle East.

By the end of Mass, sunshine gave way to a soft, light rain and the crowd had swelled to 50,000 people, according to security officials. Francis, after removing his red robes, was driven in his white popemobile so he could wave to the crowd.

Holy Week culminates in joyous celebrations on Easter Sunday as Christians celebrate their belief that Jesus rose from the dead.

___

Frances D’Emilio is on twitter at www.twitter.com/fdemilio .

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation