JERUSALEM – On Thursday, June 11, 2020, on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the faithful of the Latin Church of Jerusalem gathered at the Holy Sepulcher to commemorate the Presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Lauds and Mass were presided by Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
To honor this Presence, a small number of faithful of the Latin Church of Jerusalem gathered at the Holy Sepulcher, due to the restrictions imposed on the number of people gathering in churches. The celebration of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi was presided by the Apostolic Administrator, concelebrated by Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Patriarchal Vicar in Jerusalem and Palestine; Bishop Kamal Bathish, Bishop emeritus; and many other priests of the diocese in the presence of the religious communities.
In his homily, the Archbishop talked about the significance of this presence: “the natural life carries the meaning of death, as it is destined to end. Even Though, it needs to be nourished. On the contrary, Jesus’ life does not know death. It requires to be nourished as well, yet Jesus’ life is fed on the relationship with the Father. As a result, we must have a relationship with the Father to keep nourishing our lives.
The Mass ended with the traditional solemn procession around the Aedicule before the Archbishop entered the Tomb of Christ to venerate it once again.
Source: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
