The Explainer: What is Palm Sunday? Why is the donkey important to the story? And how is it celebrated worldwide?
As the world marked Palm Sunday on the weekend, LUIS ANDRES HENAO, of Associated Press, explains what the day is all about…
Thousands of faithful attend Palm Sunday celebrations in Jerusalem against a backdrop of war
Jerusalem AP Thousands of Christian faithful attended Palm Sunday celebrations at Jerusalem’s sacred Mount of Olives, marking the first day of Holy Week as conflict surges across the region. Pilgrims waved branches and fronds in the air, items that were placed before Jesus’ feet as he was greeted by cheering crowds during his entrance into […]
Pope Francis skips Palm Sunday homily at start of busy Holy Week that will test his health
Rome, Italy AP Pope Francis decided at the last minute to skip his homily during Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, avoiding a strenuous speech at the start of a busy Holy Week that will test his increasingly frail health. Hobbled by bad knees and persistent respiratory problems, Francis also didn’t participate in the procession […]
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy denounces Russian strikes on Orthodox Palm Sunday
Reuters President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced Russian air strikes coinciding with the observance of Orthodox Palm Sunday, including an attack that killed a father and daughter at home in the city of Zaporizhzhia. A police officer inspects remains of a Russian missile which hit a residential area, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on […]
Joyous Holy Week celebrations around the world
AP From dressing as Roman soldiers in Antigua, Guatemala, to carrying palm fronds on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Christians around the world are celebrating Holy Week. Christians pause along the Via Dolorosa, a route that is believed to be the path Jesus walked to his crucifixion, on Good Friday in the Old City of […]
Essay: Holy Week starts off with lots of palms – but Palm Sunday’s donkey is just as important to the story
Churches around the world have just observed Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week. JOANNE M PIERCE, professor emerita of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross in the US, says the “deeper meaning” of the day is rooted in humility, rather than worldly veneration…
Christians celebrate Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, striving to maintain presence
Jerusalem, IsraelReuters Christians celebrated Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, facing an increasing struggle to maintain their status in the Holy City in the face of the expansion of Jewish settlements and repeated acts of violence. Hundreds attended the traditional procession on the Mount of Olives with palm fronds and olive branches that celebrates the entry of […]
Pope Francis leads Palm Sunday service, bounces back from illness
Vatican CtyReuters Pope Francis led a Palm Sunday service the day after he was discharged from hospital following a bout of bronchitis, and urged the world to take better care of the poor, the lonely and the infirm. Thousands of people waved palm and olive branches as Francis was driven into St Peter’s Square sitting […]
Welcoming the King: In the US, palm weaving workshops join faith, culture for Palm Sunday
GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO, of Associated Press, reports on the palm frond weaving workshops which take place in the lead-up to Palm Sunday…
In Spain, Easter procession events a ‘yearlong’ operation
Elche, Spain AP Spain is getting ready for one of its most revered holiday periods of the year: Easter Week, which means thousands of colorful and noisy religious street processions that draw multitudes onto the streets to watch. The central pieces of the processions are the richly decorated gigantic floats bearing sculptures of Jesus or […]