In this week’s news from the Eastern Churches, produced in collaboration with L’Œuvre d’Orient we look ahead to Easter in the Holy Land, where celebrations are being compromised by the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Christians in Jerusalem will be deprived this year of the famous Palm Sunday procession on the Mount of Olives.
This was announced by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in a message published on 23 March.
This situation is not new; due to the ongoing conflict and the risk of bombardment, the local community has been unable to follow the usual Lenten journey, marked by celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the holy sites of the Passion.
Since 28 February, several major sites have been closed, notably the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall, in order to prevent gatherings of pilgrims.
Another consequence: the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday has been postponed to a later date, if possible before the end of the Easter season.
Despite these restrictions, the churches of the diocese remain open. The faithful are invited to unite in prayer, particularly by reciting the Rosary on Saturday 28 March, to implore the gift of peace.
The Patriarch also encourages everyone to experience these celebrations in a different way, with their families or in community, in a spirit of contemplation and hope.
