Postcards: The blessing of rain dampens Holy Week in drought-stricken Spain
BERNAT ARMANGUE, of Associated Press, reports from Spain on the impact much-needed rain had on Easter celebrations…
Pope overcomes health concerns to preside over Easter Mass and appeal for peace in Gaza and Ukraine
Updated: 8am, 1st April, 2024 (AEDT) Rome. Italy AP Pope Francis rallied from a winter-long bout of respiratory problems to lead some 60,000 people in Easter celebrations Sunday, making a strong appeal for a cease-fire in Gaza and a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine. Francis presided over Easter Sunday Mass in a flower-decked St […]
Young and old participate in Holy Week religious processions on Italy’s Procida island
Procida, Italy AP Italy is known for the religious processions that take over towns big and small throughout the year when Catholic feast days are celebrated. But even in a country where public displays of popular piety are a centuries-old tradition, Procida’s Holy Week commemorations stand out. The picturesque island in the Bay of Naples, […]
Pope soldiers through Easter Vigil after missing procession
Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis on Saturday soldiered through a more than two-hour Easter Vigil Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, one of the longest services in Catholic liturgy, amid renewed concerns about the 87-year-old’s frail condition. His voice at times sounded raspy and out of breath, but he read out all of his prepared texts, […]
With pilgrimages on hold, Holy Land Easter programming fills a gap
United States RNS Holy Week is typically a time when church groups flock to Israel to walk in the way of Jesus before his crucifixion in Jerusalem. But not this year. With the Hamas attack on Israel on 7th October, and the fierce ground assault on Gaza that has followed, most US church groups are […]
In Jerusalem, Palestinian Christians observe scaled-down Good Friday rituals
Jerusalem AP Hundreds of Christians participated in a customary Good Friday procession through the limestone walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, commemorating one of the faith’s most sacred days with noticeably thinner crowds amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The procession, which normally draws thousands of foreign visitors, was unusually local — mostly Palestinian Christians, joined by some […]
Pope skips Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum to preserve health, Vatican says
Rome, Italy AP Pope Francis skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum to protect his health, the Vatican said, adding to concerns about his frail condition during a particularly busy liturgical period. Francis had been expected to preside over the Way of the Cross procession, which re-enacts Christ’s Passion and crucifixion, and composed the meditations […]
Pope, looking strong, washes feet of 12 women at Rome prison from his wheelchair
Rome, Italy Reuters Pope Francis looked well as he washed and kissed the feet of 12 women prisoners on Thursday at a traditional ritual on the first of four event-filled days leading to Easter for the 87-year-old pontiff. Francis travelled to Rome’s Rebibbia prison, in a run-down area on Rome’s outskirts, to preside at a […]
South Africa bus crash kills 45 Easter pilgrims, Transport Ministry says
Reuters A bus crash in South Africa’s northern province of Limpopo resulted in 45 deaths and one serious injury, South Africa’s Department of Transport said on Thursday. The driver lost control and collided with barriers on a bridge near Mamatlakala, causing the bus to go over the bridge and hit the ground, catching fire, according […]
Pope, looking healthy, begins busy four days leading to Easter
Vatican City Reuters Pope Francis looked well as he began four intense days of events leading to Easter on Thursday, and renewed his own ordination vow on the day the Roman Catholic Church marks Jesus’s founding of the priesthood the night before the crucifixion. Francis, who recently curtailed his speaking engagements because of fatigue related […]