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On Sunday, March 24th, 2024, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the Palm Sunday celebrations, with the participation of Mgr. William Shomali, Patriarchal General Vicar, Fr. Francesco Patton, the Custos of the Holy Land, and many bishops, priests and faithful. The celebrations began at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, where His Beatitude

At a time when personal benefit dominates morals, what should be forbidden in any way is justified and corruption legalized, "we desperately need Jesus to lead us toward truth, love, good will, dignity and grace." This is why Holy Week is a "necessary" time; a time "that we all need "to clear out our minds and hearts" and find

As part of his tour in Lebanon on the occasion of the Fiftieth Year of the Founding of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay visited His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the

On Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, Christians participated in the traditional procession marking the beginning of Holy Week with palm and olive branches — one of the most significant events for the Christian community in the Holy Land. The route follows the same path that Jesus took on the back of a donkey when he went to Jerusalem to celebrate the

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is asking the American faithful to pray for an end to the Israel-Hamas war during Holy Week. “Thousands of innocent people have died in this conflict, and thousands more have been displaced and face tremendous suffering. This must stop,” the bishops said in a statement on Saturday, March 23 — the day before Palm

That’s how Cardinal Gianbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, described the situation in Gaza in a recent interview with the Italian television station TV2000. “We have always had many problems of all kinds,” he continued, “and even the economic-financial situation has always been very fragile, but there has never been hunger before." "Everyone—religious, political, and social communities," said Patriarch

Against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Holy Week will be celebratory but not as festive as usual in the Holy Land. Similarly to last Christmas, these Easter celebrations will not see crowds of pilgrims and tourists flocking to Jerusalem, where Jesus accomplished the Paschal Mystery after His triumphant entrance into the holy city on Palm

Holy Week in Jerusalem started with the two solemn liturgical appointments of Palm Sunday, on 24 March. In the very early morning, the procession around the edicule and the solemn Mass took place in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. In the afternoon, there was the procession on foot to Bethphage towards St Anne’s church. The procession and the solemn Mass In

The ripple effects of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza extend into the West Bank, creating significant challenges marked by increased travel restrictions, disruptions in the flow of goods, and widespread unemployment. Institutions like St. Luke’s Hospital in Nablus along with the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School (AEES) and the Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center (ETVTC), both located in Ramallah,

On Palm Sunday, March 24, 2014 hundreds of priests, bishops, cardinals, and laypeople solemnly carried large palm branches in procession through St. Peter’s Square to begin the first liturgy of Holy Week. “Dear brothers and sisters, since the beginning of Lent until now we have prepared our hearts by penance and charitable works,” Pope Francis said in a soft voice