By Hannah Brockhaus
Rome Newsroom, Apr 14, 2025 / 11:49 am
On Palm Sunday, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, delivered a powerful message of hope to Christians in the Holy Land, urging them to believe in the victory of Christ’s resurrection over death.
“This is our vocation: to build, to unite, to tear down walls, and to hope against all hope,” Pizzaballa said in his message, emphasizing the transformative power of faith. “The Passion is not God’s last word to the world. The Risen One is. And we are here to affirm it once more — with strength, with love, and with unshakable faith.”
Catholics in Jerusalem observed Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week with a solemn Mass and the blessing of palms at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, following in the footsteps of Jesus on his triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
“We know we are living through difficult times,” the cardinal and patriarch acknowledged. “But we are not here today to speak only of hardship. We are here to proclaim with strength that we are not afraid. We are children of light, of resurrection, of life. We believe in a love that conquers all.”
Interestingly, this year marks a rare occasion where the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches are celebrating Holy Week and Easter on the same dates. The unity in celebrations was evident as Pizzaballa led the Mass at the altar of Mary Magdalene, while other Churches held their liturgies at different altars within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Pizzaballa concluded his message by reminding Christians that “Jerusalem has always been and will always be a house of prayer for all peoples,” emphasizing the inclusive and universal nature of faith.
