Why is Jesus' entry into Jerusalem so important? What is going on here?
Palm Sunday–or is it Passion Sunday?–marks the beginning of Holy Week.
This day commemorates not one but two very significant events in the life of Christ.
Here are 9 things you need to know.
1. What is this day called?
The day is called both “Palm Sunday” and “Passion Sunday.”
The first name comes from the fact that it commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the crowd had palm branches (John 12:13).
The second name comes from the fact that the narrative of the Passion is read on this Sunday (it otherwise wouldn’t be read on a Sunday, since the next Sunday is about the Resurrection).
According to the main document on the celebration of the feasts connected with Easter, Paschales Solemnitatis:
Holy Week begins on “Passion (or Palm) Sunday” which joins the foretelling of Christ’s regal triumph and the proclamation of the passion. The connection between both aspects of the Paschal Mystery should be shown and explained in the celebration and catechesis of this day.
2. One of the notable features of this day is a procession before Mass. What do we do this?
The commemoration of the entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem has, according to ancient custom, been celebrated with a solemn procession, in which the faithful in song and gesture imitate the Hebrew children who went to meet the Lord singing “Hosanna.”
The procession may take place only once, before the Mass which has the largest attendance, even if this should be in the evening either of Saturday or Sunday. The congregation should assemble in a secondary church or chapel or in some other suitable place distinct from the church to which the procession will move. . . .
The palms or branches are blessed so that they can be carried in the procession. The palms should be taken home where they will serve as a reminder of the victory of Christ be given which they celebrated in the procession.
3. Are we only supposed to use palms? What if you don’t have palms where you live?
Should we be concerned about some of the aspects of Pope Francis's inaugural Mass?
Pope Francis’s inaugural Mass is unique in several respects.
That’s raised a lot of questions: Only some cardinals doing the act of obedience? Different Mass readings? The Gospel reading in Greek? No offertory procession? No Communion distributed by the pope?
What does all this mean about the pope and where he stands on liturgy?
Is he striking out on a radical new course?
Let’s take a deep breath . . . and a closer look at these differences.
1) Only Some Cardinals Doing the Act of Obedience?
This change is not as strange as you might think.
The last time a pope had this kind of Mass (when Pope Benedict had his in 2005) they didn’t have all the cardinals present make the sign of obedience, only some of them (together with some non-cardinals).
Each of the cardinals has, already and individually, signified his obedience to Pope Francis. This happened back during the conclave, before his election was announced.
It has been customary to have the cardinals do the same thing publicly at the inauguration Mass (at least all of the cardinals there), but there is precedent for omitting this (and with Pope Benedict, who has a strong respect for liturgical precedent).
I was surprised that this got changed at the last minute, since it overturns a decision Pope Benedict had made just last month, but that’s Pope Francis’s call.
So now they’re going to have just six cardinals (two cardinal bishops, two cardinal priests, and two cardinal deacons) do the homage.
I also don’t know that we need to see it as much of an indication of where he stands on liturgy, for this reason: We already know (see below) that they’re trying to keep this Mass from running too long. It’s already expected to run over two hours.
Having over a hundred cardinals come up and do the act of homage would really lengthen it.
Since the new pope is seventy-six and cameras will be trained on him every minute of the Mass, with at least some reporters eager to spin an “Is the new pope too old to do his job?” narrative, I think it’s understandable that they would want not to lengthen the Mass lest his strength flag publicly during the service.
(And it’s not like he can grab a quick cup of maté during the service if he needs some caffeine.)
So they’re defaulting back to the kind of precedent set by Pope Benedict’s inaugural Mass.
The Mass will be that of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, which has its own readings (therefore they are not directly related to the rite of the Inauguration of the Pontificate).
At first it seems odd that they would use the ordinary readings of the day (for the Solemnity of St. Joseph) rather than the readings specifically for the inauguration Mass.
Here is something that may be going on: Pope Francis has a special devotion to St. Joseph, who was represented on his coat of arms before and is now represented on his papal coat of arms. He may view the timing of his inauguration on St. Joseph’s day as providential, and he wants to honor St. Joseph.
Pope Francis is having his "Inaugural Mass"? What happens in this Mass, and why is it important?
On Tuesday, March 19, Pope Francis will participate in his inauguration Mass.
If he hasn’t been inaugurated, is he pope yet?
If he is pope, why is this called is “inauguration” Mass?
Here are 9 things you need to know.
1. Is Pope Francis already Pope, if he isn’t “inaugurated”?
Yes. According to the Code of Canon Law:
Can. 332 §1. The Roman Pontiff obtains full and supreme power in the Church by his acceptance of legitimate election together with episcopal consecration. Therefore, a person elected to the supreme pontificate who is marked with episcopal character obtains this power from the moment of acceptance. If the person elected lacks episcopal character, however, he is to be ordained a bishop immediately.
This means that if the man elected pope is already a bishop (as Pope Francis was) then he becomes pope from the moment he accepts his election.
That happened during the conclave, and so Pope Francis is already, truly the pope.
2. Then why is he having an “inaugural Mass”?
Although “Mass of inauguration” or “inaugural Mass” is a common way of describing this event, it does not mean that he gains any office, power, or authority with this Mass.
It’s just a way of commemorating his entrance into office–rather like an inaugural ball held after someone becomes president, except it is a sacred rather than a secular celebration.
Paul VI is coronated with the papal tiara. He was the last pope to use this rite.
Hi Jimmy, I hope you don’t mind me writing to ask you a question.
I have been eagerly awaiting your take on Pope Francis. I trust your opinion like no other.
I am wondering why you have not posted your opinion. I do not mean to put you on the spot, but I’m worried and am wondering if you are too.
First, let me say that I don’t mind the reader writing at all. I only wish I had the opportunity to respond to all the emails I receive. I’m afraid that I’m not able to, but that should never stop anyone from writing, though.
The reader is also too kind in his interest in my opinion. There are many qualified Catholic commentators who have opinions as good–or better–than mine.
No Blogging Yet?
Regarding my not (yet) blogging in this case, I have to plead the fact that this has been a very busy few days for me.
I’ve been giving interviews about Pope Francis right and left, as well as preparing materials about him that will be published soon by different Catholic outlets.
It’s been a hectic time(!), and I haven’t been able to blog in any depth on the subject.
First Thoughts
I’ve been blogging on his election in the small ways I’ve been able to, and I’ll undoubtedly blog more soon, but for the moment, allow me to offer a few thoughts:
1) I’m jazzed to have a new pope!
2) Like everybody else in the English-speaking world, I don’t know Pope Francis as well as I knew Pope Benedict when he assumed office.
When Pope Benedict was elected, I already knew him really well. I’d followed him and read his writings (which had been translated into English) for years. He was a known quantity, and I was super-jazzed about his election.
Pope Francis isn’t as well known (by me).
I already knew about him, but–given his age–I didn’t expect him to be elected pope (he’s only two years younger than Pope Benedict was when elected, and after Pope Benedict’s resignation for age-related reasons, I expected the cardinals to go with a younger man).
As a result, I haven’t focused on him as much–plus there is the fact that his writings as a cardinal are in Spanish and haven’t yet been translated into English.
Currently, I’m working on a book that he wrote with a rabbi (a kind of dialogue book, where they give their views on different topics), but my Spanish isn’t great, and it’s slow going.
I’m also reading his speeches as pope as soon as English translations are available.
As a result, like many people, I’m still getting to know Pope Francis.
3) I trust the wisdom of the college of cardinals.
These are a group of men guided by God–and appointed by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
That’s gotta count for a lot.
If they think this man is the best person to entrust with the ministry of St. Peter, who am I (or any of us?) to question that?
My default position is thus, even if I don’t know as much about Pope Francis as I would wish, I should proceed with an open, trusting attitude toward the decision of the pastors of the Church, as rendered below the fresco of Michaelangelo’s Last Judgment.
We should trust them.
4) From what I knew about Cardinal Bergoglio before his election, I had no reason to doubt that he would make a worthy successor of St. Peter.
I had a positive impression of him then, and I still do now.
5) From what I’ve been (rapidly!) learning about him since his election, my belief that he can be a good pope has only strengthened.
I am more reassured now than I was when he was first announced, and I have every confidence that this will grow even stronger, given what I am learning. Thus . . .
6) I’m expecting good stuff ahead!
I’m sure that there will be surprises during Pope Francis’s tenure. There always are when a new pope is elected.
But God guides his Church, we have Jesus’ word on that, and we may look to the future with confidence.
Soon the cardinals will send up black smoke or white smoke to indicate that we have a new pope. When should you be watching?
Many people across the world are wondering when we should be watching the chimney above the Sistine Chapel to see the smoke that will tell us whether a new pope has been elected.
Here is a quick guide to when to watch and what to expect . . .
The Color of the Smoke
After casting ballots, the cardinals burn them, and this is what produces the smoke. They also burn other things–straw or chemicals–to change the color of the smoke, though precisely what they’re burning this time is a bit of a mystery.
As most people know, it is supposed to be black if there is no new pope but it is supposed to be white if there is.
In practice, there have been troubles with the color of the smoke being unclear in the past.
Sometimes it starts off one color and then seems to change color. This can happen when the things the cardinals are burning don’t ignite at the same time.
Other times, the smoke seems too grey to say that it’s white or black.
To help clear up matters, they’re suppose to also start ringing the bells at St. Peter’s when a new pope is elected, but there has been confusion in the past with the bells, since they are ordinarily rung at several times of day.
Hopefully, there won’t be such confusion this time, but here’s when to watch . . .
Regularly Scheduled Times
On Tuesday the cardinals are scheduled to have only one round of voting, which is expected to end around 7:00 p.m., Rome time.
It might be somewhat earlier or later when the smoke appears, and it will almost certainly be black, since the first ballot almost never results in a papal election.
For the next few days, the cardinals are scheduled to have four votes–two in the morning and two in the afternoon.
They will burn the ballots after each pair of ballots.
This means that the cardinals will be burning the ballots after each odd numbered ballot (that is, after ballot #1 on day 1, after ballots #3 and #5 on day 2, and ballots #7 and #9 on day 3).
The first time they burn them should be around 12:00 p.m. (i.e., noon), Rome time.
The second time will be around 7:00 p.m., Rome time.
As before, the exact time may be slightly earlier or later.
The longer the conclave goes on, the higher the likelihood that the smoke will be white.
Unscheduled Times
If the cardinals elect a cardinal after an even numbered ballot (e.g., ballot #2 or #4 on day 2 or ballot #6 or #8 on day 3) then they will burn the ballots immediately.
As a result, the smoke at such an unscheduled burning will be white–announcing the election that has just happened.
Each round of balloting takes about an hour, so if they elect a pope on an even numbered ballot, the smoke would appear around an hour earlier than expected–e.g., around 11:00 a.m. or 6 p.m., Rome time.
As before, the exact time might be earlier or later.
The Rome Schedule
Here is a list of when to watch for the smoke if you are in Rome (all times local):
Morning even numbered ballot: 11:00 a.m. (uncheduled; indicates papal election)
Morning odd numbered ballot: 12:00 a.m. (scheduled; may be black or white smoke)
Evening even numbered ballot: 6:00 p.m. (uncheduled; indicates papal election)
Evening odd numbered ballot: 7:00 p.m. (scheduled; may be black or white smoke)
Your Time Zone
Rome has not yet gone on the Italian equivalent of Daylight Savings Time, so they are presently 5 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time and 8 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Time.
Here is a list of the approximate times to watch for the smoke to appear in the different U.S. time zones (times in parentheses indicate unscheduled burnings):
By the way, last year I published a study of what the next pope’s name would likely be.
I’d investigated the history of pope names and found patterns in history that the popes themselves probably aren’t fully aware of.
There’s some fascinating stuff to be discovered!
I even listed the names that the next pope would most likely choose (will he be a Benedict? a John Paul? a Pius? a John? or something else entirely?)–as well as the names that the new pope would definitely not choose.
I put it together into a report that you can read on your Kindle, Nook, or Apple device (iPhone, iPad, iPod).
What name will the next pope choose? Get your copy of Jimmy Akin's definitive study!
Will he be a Benedict? A John Paul? A Pius? A Leo? Something else entirely?
I wanted to let you know about a special study I did last year on what name the next pope would choose.
Normally, I use these Secret Info Club emails to send you fascinating information of a timeless nature, but with the cardinals holding a conclave, this study is particularly timely, and I thought you’d like to know about it.
Several years ago, when John Paul II died, I began looking at the history of the names popes have chosen, and I was startled to see the patterns that exist.
The popes themselves probably haven’t been fully aware of these patterns.
What I learned was that the name of the next pope is quite a bit more predictable than you would imagine. It’s even possible to assign probabilities.
Last year, on a lark, I put the study out as an ebook, though I never advertised it.
It’s available for Kindle, Nook, and on the Apple iBookstore for just $2.99.
The cardinals will be entering the conclave to vote for the new pope. How do they actually decide who to vote for? Here are 9 things you should know.
Soon the cardinals will enter the conclave and begin casting their votes for the new pope.
What’s going through their minds as they do this? How do they actually go through the process of deciding, on any particular ballot, who to vote for?
Why is the first ballot so important? What patterns does history teach us? And is there any way we can help them?
Here are 9 things you need to know.
1. Why is the first ballot significant?
It is the first time that the cardinals get the “lay of the land” in a concrete way.
Up to this point, they have had discussions among themselves about who would be a good pope, and they have done some informal nose counting to get a sense of how much support there may be for different candidates.
Now, however, they get actual vote counts and can attach numbers to how much support different candidates have.
The cardinals will then factor this in to how they vote on the next ballot. Some candidates will gain support; others will lose it.
2. How has the role of the first ballot changed over time?
In the past, the cardinals sometimes used the first ballot to honor cardinals who they knew did not have a chance of winning.
For example, they might vote for cardinals who had served the Church long and well but who were now too old to be elected. Or, in the days when an Italian pope was guaranteed, they might vote for distinguished cardinals who weren’t from Italy.
This practice caused conclaves to be longer, since it cluttered up the voting process with symbolic votes that weren’t meant to lead to the election of an actual pope.
A well-respected but unelectable cardinal would get a certain number of tribute votes on the first ballot and then these would melt away on the second.
Today there is a desire for shorter conclaves, so that the cardinals do not appear to be divided in a way that would hamstring the new pope.
Thus the practice of giving tribute votes has faded, and now cardinals take this oath when they cast their ballots:
I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.
Despite this, the first ballot will almost certainly not result in a new pope.
3. Why will the first ballot almost certainly not result in a new pope?
