While Pope Francis was
presiding at the Via Crucis at the Colosseum, his Almoner brought a sign of
Pontiff’s love to the poor of Rome. For the second consecutive year, Archbishop
Krajewski spent the evening of Good Friday with his colleague Msgr Ravelli in
the city’s main train stations, homeless
shelters and dormitories around St Peter’s Square conveying the Pope’s concern
for them: The two prelates described it as “a little embrace”, distributing to
about 300 men and women gift bags with the Pope’s Easter card, an image of the
Pope and a donation of money. Many, visibly moved, kissed the photograph of
Francis, asking them to thank him on their behalf….
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will celebrate the culmination of the Paschal Triduum, the Easter Vigil, tonight at 8:30 PM in St. Peter’s Basilica. The celebration of the Easter Vigil will begin with the blessing of the paschal flame in the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Paschal candle will then be brought in procession into the Church. After which, a deacon will sing the “Exultet” — the ancient hymn that praises the resurrection.
Lit from the single flame of the Paschal candle, about 7,000 candles in the hands of the congregation will illuminate the basilica.
In one of the highlights of the liturgy, Pope Francis will baptize 10 catechumens. The group to be received into the Church is diverse. The catechumens include five women and four men, and one teenage girl; four are from Italy, three are from Albania, and three others from Cambodia, Kenya, and Portugal respectively. The catechumens range in age, from 13 to 66.
The Pope is expected to deliver the homily.
During his catechesis at the general audience earlier in the week, the Pope explained the significance of the rites on Holy Saturday.
“On Holy Saturday, the Church identifies with Mary and contemplates Christ in the tomb, after the “victorious battle of the cross,” he said.
The Church, like Mary, remains vigilant on Holy Saturday, keeping alive “the flame of faith” and “hoping against all hope in the resurrection of Jesus.”
The movement from darkness to light during the Easter Vigil liturgy can also apply to our own lives.
In the darkest moments of our lives, it is Christ who “lights the fire of the love of God.”
Listen to the report by Andrew Summerson:
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will celebrate the culmination of the Paschal Triduum, the Easter Vigil, tonight at 8:30 PM in St. Peter’s Basilica. The celebration of the Easter Vigil will begin with the blessing of the paschal flame in the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Paschal candle will then be brought in procession into the…
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Thousands of faithful filled the Coliseum on Friday night for the traditional Good Friday Stations of the Cross with Pope Francis.
The reflections accompanying the Stations this year were composed by Italian Bishop Renato Corti, Bishop-Emeritus of Novara.
Entitled “The Cross: Radiant Culmination of God’s Protective Love,” Bishop Corti’s reflections drew attention to different types of suffering in the world, such as child abuse, human trafficking and Christian persecution. The cross was carried by families of different nationalities, as well as individuals from nations where Christians are currently being persecuted, such as Iraq, Syria, and China.
The second station, when Jesus takes up his cross, commemorated Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was martyred in Pakistan in 2011, and the words he spoke before his death: “ I want my life, my character and my actions to speak for me, and to say that I am a follower of Jesus Christ. This is so strong a desire in me that I would consider it a privilege if Jesus should wish to accept the sacrifice of my life.”
The tenth station, where Jesus is stripped of his garments, recalled those who suffer child abuse and human trafficking in the world, accompanied with the prayer “You urge us in humility to beg forgiveness of all who have suffered these atrocities, and to pray that the conscience of those who darkened their lives will at last be stirred. In your presence, Jesus, we renew our resolve to “overcome evil with good.”
At the conclusion of the Stations, Pope Francis said the Via Crucis is the “synthesis” of Jesus’ life and the “Icon of obedience” to God the Father.
In words that recalled the recent execution of Christians in Kenya, the Pope prayed, “In you, divine love, we see also today our persecuted brothers and sisters, decapitated and crucified for their faith in you, before our eyes and often with our complicit silence.”
He prayed that the faithful might learn to never tire of asking forgiveness and to believe in his unlimited mercy. He then recited the Anima Christi and urged those present to go home, filled with the hope of the joyous resurrection.
Listen to the report by Andrew Summerson:
(from Vatican Radio)…
Thousands of faithful filled the Coliseum on Friday night for the traditional Good Friday Stations of the Cross with Pope Francis. The reflections accompanying the Stations this year were composed by Italian Bishop Renato Corti, Bishop-Emeritus of Novara. Entitled “The Cross: Radiant Culmination of God’s Protective Love,” Bishop Corti’s reflections drew attention to different types…
Read more