This year, the Holy Week leading up to Easter coincided precisely with the week of Passover. During Sunday, the first day of Passover, Palm Sunday was celebrated in Jerusalem. It featured the traditional procession from Bethphage on the Mount of Olives to the Old City. The procession reenacted Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, where he was welcomed with palm branches. This tradition of carrying palm leaves (and also olive branches) in the procession stems from that event. It’s one of the most impressive Christian pilgrimage events.
Despite the challenging times and the rain this year, thousands participated in the colorful event. As usual in such events, Ethiopians stood out in their attire and decorations, including palm fronds fashioned like crosses on their foreheads and fingers.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, gave blessings during gatherings before and after the walk. In his concluding remarks, he expressed joy at the large turnout and did not shy away from mentioning this period of hatred and division, calling for unity and peace.
Many years have passed since I last participated in this procession, and it was moving to relive it alongside the pilgrims, briefly forgetting the chaos around.
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