Catholics enter Holy Week.
Like every year, Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy Week, the most important week of the liturgical year for Catholics, the one which completes the forty days of Lent.
From this Sunday, March 24 and until Saturday, March 30, Christians commemorate Christ's fight against evil and his death, before celebrating his resurrection a week later on Easter Sunday.
Between these two Sundays, Holy Week is marked by other great moments for the faithful.
This week opens with Palm Sunday, one of the twelve major feasts of the liturgical year.
A week before Easter, this Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in acceptance of the death that awaits him, his death on the cross, and his burial.
During this, Catholics bring branches to the church which will be blessed during mass before keeping them at home all year round.
This #Palm Sunday marks the entry into #Holy Week for the Catholic and Protestant faithful.
I am delighted to meet Father Lambret and the parishioners of Sainte-Clotilde on this occasion!
pic.twitter.com/lz07HbV9Rl
— Rachida Dati ن (@datirachida) March 24, 2024
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday
On Thursday, Catholics celebrate Maundy Thursday, a day that commemorates the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, Christ's last meal with the twelve Apostles.
It is during this meal that he institutes the Eucharist
by offering his body, bread, and his blood, wine, for the salvation of men.
It was also during this meal that Jesus knelt before each of his disciples to wash their feet, a sign of forgiveness and service.
At the end of this mass and
until Easter, the bells stop ringing as a sign of the arrest and death of Jesus on Good Friday.
It was on this day that Jesus was arrested and betrayed by Judas before being crucified.
On Good Friday, the Catholic Church invites its faithful to fast, that is to say, to do without a meal.
Also read Ramadan 2024: what are the rules to follow and the prohibitions during fasting?
The next day, Holy Saturday, is a day of mourning.
Called Easter Vigil, this day often considered “forgotten” in the liturgy is the last of Holy Week, a day on which the faithful prepare for Easter.