Calendar of Vatican Holy Week Liturgical Celebrations

VATICAN CITY, MAR 8, 2005 (VIS) - Given below is the program of liturgical celebrations for Holy Week, published today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. This year the ceremonies will be presided by various cardinals.

SUNDAY, March 20: Palm Sunday and the Passion of the Lord, 20th World Youth Day on the theme "We have come to adore Him." The celebration will begin at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square with the blessing of palms and olive branches. It will be presided by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome. This will be followed by a procession and the celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Passion.

THURSDAY, March 24: Holy Thursday. In St. Peter's Basilica at 9:30 a.m., Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, will preside at the concelebration of the Chrism Mass and blessing of the holy oils with cardinals, bishops, and diocesan and religious priests present in Rome, as a sign of the close union between the pastor of the universal Church and his brothers in the priestly ministry. The Easter Triduum of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection will begin in St. Peter's Basilica at 5:30 p.m. with the Mass of Our Lord's Last Supper. Cardinals, bishops and priests are invited to concelebrate Mass, presided by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. After the homily, the rite of the washing of the feet of 12 priests will take place. During this rite, those present will be invited to give alms for the people of Venezuela, hit by devastating floods in the month of February. The sum collected will be given to the Holy Father. At the end of the celebration the Blessed Sacrament will be transferred to the chapel of reposition.

FRIDAY, March 25: Good Friday. In St. Peter's Basilica at 5 p.m., Cardinal James Francis Stafford, major penitentiary, will preside at the celebration of the Passion of Our Lord. The celebration will be divided into three moments: Liturgy of the Word, the adoration of the Cross, and Eucharistic communion. The Stations of the Cross will take place at the Colosseum at 9:15 p.m. After the traditional 14 stations, the ceremony will conclude on Rome's Palatine hill.

SATURDAY, March 26: At 8 p.m. the Easter Vigil, presided over by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, will begin with the blessing of the new fire in the atrium of St. Peter's Basilica. After the entrance procession with the Easter candle and the singing of the "Exsultet," the liturgies of the Word, of Baptism and of the Eucharist, will be concelebrated by the cardinals.

SUNDAY, March 27: Easter Sunday. At 10:30 a.m., Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano will celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Square. After the celebration, at midday, the Holy Father will impart the "Urbi et Orbi" ("to the city and the world") blessing.

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