No procession from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem for Palm Sunday and the Chrism Mass which traditionally takes place on Holy Thursday in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher has been postponed. Due to the ongoing conflict, the restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities continue. A situation that remains in evolution and which, however, during the period of Lent is seeing strong limitations in community celebrations. The cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins, announces the restrictions in a message released on March 23 and asks the faithful, while the diocesan churches remain open, to unite in prayer next March 28th to recite the rosary together asking for the gift of peace.
«The restrictions imposed by the conflict and the events of the last few days», writes the cardinal, «do not suggest an imminent improvement. In constant dialogue with the competent authorities, together with the other Christian Churches, we are evaluating how it is possible, in the ways to be agreed, to celebrate the central mystery of our salvation in the heart of our Churches”. The Palm Sunday procession has been canceled and the Chrism Mass has been postponed to a later date, “possibly within the Easter period”, the patriarchate assures that, together with priests and religious, it will do everything possible to encourage the prayer and participation of the faithful in the celebrations of Holy Easter. “If we were able to pray and prepare personally, we missed the community journey towards Easter”, declared the patriarch. And he emphasized that this «is a wound that adds to many others inflicted by the conflict. But we must not let ourselves be discouraged. If we cannot gather as we would like, we do not give up prayer.”
Citing the words of the Gospel of Luke: “Always pray, without ever getting tired”, he asked us to continue, within the family and in religious communities, to cultivate moments of meditation. In particular, for March 28, he asked that we implore the gift of peace and serenity, especially for those who suffer due to the conflict. “We will do it with a humble heart, certain that our prayer, even if physically distant, is capable of drawing on the strength of God’s love, which unites us in a spirit of hope and trust.” By praying together even if in separate places we will feel “ideally united in prayer to find comfort”.
Cardinal Pizzaballa underlines the strength that comes from prayer and its meaning Easter. An event, celebrated in the sign of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, which «reminds us that no darkness, not even that of war, can have the last word. The empty tomb is the seal of the victory of life over hatred, of mercy over sin. Let this certainty illuminate our steps and sustain our hope.”
Meanwhile, while the Holy Sepulcher continues to remain closed, the Custody of the Holy Land specifies that the community of Franciscan friars present inside the church «has never ceased, neither day nor night, to carry out the planned celebrationsrites, daily processions and liturgical prayers as established by the Status Quo. Even in these days, although access to the basilica is prevented for the faithful for security reasons, prayer continues uninterrupted in the Holy Places.”
