This year, the Holy See’s press office publishes Pope Francis’ calendar for Holy Week. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re and the meditations of the Way of the Cross on Good Friday will be prepared and encouraged by a group of scouts, a Roman parish and other young people.
By the Vatican News staff writer
As Lent season approaches Easter, the Vatican on Tuesday released details of the Holy Week celebrations program in which Pope Francis will preside. A note from the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Ceremonies, Mons. Guido Marini, states the following:
– On April 28, Mass on Palm Sunday is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter’s Basilica;
– The Christmas Mass, on Thursday 1 April, will take place at 10:00 am in the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter’s Basilica and will be presided over by the Pope. Later that day, the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper will take place at 6 p.m. It will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals;
– On Good Friday, April 2, the celebration of the Passion of the Lord will begin at 18:00 at the Altar of the Chair. Afterwards, the Way of the Cross will take place at 21:00 in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican;
– The celebrations of Easter Eve on Holy Saturday will be held at 19:30 in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Easter morning Mass will also be celebrated in the basilica, at 10:00 on Easter Sunday, which will be followed by the traditional blessing of Urbi and Orbi at noon.
All these events will take place with a limited presence of the faithful, in accordance with precautionary measures to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meditations for Good Friday Way of the Cross
Pope Francis has entrusted the preparation of the meditations for the Way of the Cross on Good Friday this year to the Scout group Agesci “Foligno I” (Umbria) and the Roman parish of Santi Matiri in Uganda (Holy Martyrs of Uganda).
The images that will accompany the different seasons will also be made by children and young people from the family home “Mater Divini Amoris” and the family home “Tetto Casal Fattoria”.
Simple but deep words
A statement from the Santa Seu press office said on Tuesday that the meditations and images of the Via Crucis will be prepared by children and adolescents between 3 and 19 years old.
The words are “simple and immediate,” the press office said, but they are “fully aware of the meaning of discrimination and humiliation, as well as justice and solidarity.”
“Words and colors return the complexity of a world made up of small and large crosses, but also of confidence and hope for the future,” the statement said, for those who witness their parents’ struggle, for those who who have no strength to defend their troubled friends, for those who fail the tests at school, for those who experience loneliness in these moments of the Covid-19 pandemic and those who are able to see the face of Jesus in the unknown, among others “.
Young authors
The Scout Group Agesci “Foligno I” consists of 21 instructors and 145 boys and girls between 8 and 19 years. With the assistance of their leaders, they have reflected on the fourteen stations and related them to their daily experiences. According to its educational methods, the “Foligno I” uses tools such as play, outdoor living, and service to others to contribute to the growth of children and youth.
The parish of Santi Matiri dell’Uganda is located in the Ardeatino area of Rome. Its pastor, Fr. Luigi d’Errico, is in charge of pastoral care for people with disabilities in the diocese. The parish has the house “Rifugio per Agar” for women and children victims of abuse and the “Casa Betlemme”, which serves to accommodate homeless families in collaboration with the eight parishes of the XXII prefecture of the diocese of Rome .
About 500 children and young people from the catechism for First Communion and Confirmation helped shape the mediations. They even met online due to restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic
The family home “Mater Divini Amoris” in Rome is managed by the Congregation of the Daughters of the Virgin of Divine Love. The religious sisters welcome the guests in the spirit of the Marian apostolate and following the example of its founder, Don Umberto Terenzi. They currently care for children between the ages of 3 and 8.
The “Tetto Casal Fattoria” Family House in Rome has been working to combat the difficulties of young people and children since 1984. It offers assistance, support, professional and cultural training projects with the aim of accompanying children and young people in their growth. .