The traditional celebration of Palm Sunday in the streets of East Jerusalem, scheduled during Holy Week on March 29, is suspended due to the .
As announced in a statement by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, “the traditional Palm Sunday procession, which ascends to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, is cancelled. It will be replaced by a moment of prayer for the city of Jerusalem, in a place to be determined.”
Since the bombings against Iran began on February 28, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher remains closed like the rest of the holy places, so no Lent celebration has taken place in Jerusalem either.
Every Palm Sunday, thousands of people, pilgrims, Christian Palestinians and tourists ascend with songs and olive branches to the Mount of Olives, in a festive atmosphere and with a large presence of Israeli police.
Pizzaballa invited everyone to join in prayer on the eve, next Saturday, March 28, “praying the Rosary to implore the gift of peace and serenity, especially for those who suffer because of the conflict,” the text adds.
In turn, the event – normally celebrated on Holy Thursday, this year scheduled for April 2 – has been postponed to a date to be determined, “as soon as the situation allows it.”
No “imminent improvement” seen
“The restrictions imposed by the conflict and the events of recent days do not portend an imminent improvement. In constant dialogue with the competent authorities, together with the other Christian Churches, we are evaluating how, in the manner agreed upon, we can celebrate the central mystery of our salvation in the heart of our Churches,” explains the Italian cardinal.
On March 20, – after being intercepted earlier – on the roof of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, adjacent to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, without causing any victims. Shrapnel has also been found in the Esplanade of the Mosques, where Al Aqsa is located, and a projectile fell, the next day, 400 meters from the Western Wall. The city is holy for the three so-called three Religions of the Book.
“The harshness of this time of war, which affects us all, today carries the additional burden of not being able to celebrate Easter together and with dignity. This is a wound that adds to the many others inflicted by the conflict. But we must not let ourselves be discouraged. Even if we cannot gather together as we would like, let us not abandon prayer,” he concluded.
