[News Terms] Pope with Health Concerns Omits Sermon on 'Seongji Sunday'

Ceremony Commemorating Jesus' Entry into Jerusalem Before Crucifixion
Pope Francis Faces Easter Health Test... Concerns Over Packed Ceremony

'Palm Sunday (Seongji Ju-il)' is a significant ceremony commemorating the event when Jesus was welcomed by the crowd as he entered Jerusalem before his crucifixion. Every year, the Sunday one week before Easter is 'Palm Sunday.' It is the sixth and final Sunday of Lent (the 40 days of suffering, starting 40 days before Easter).

The name comes from the event where many people waved branches of palm or olive trees and shouted "Hosanna" (a Hebrew word meaning "Please save us now") to welcome Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. 'Seongji (聖枝)' means 'holy branch' or 'sacred branch.' Because palm branches were waved, it is also called 'Palm Sunday (棕櫚主日·Palm Sunday).'

Pope Francis (center) is being assisted as he gets into a vehicle after the Wednesday General Audience held at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican on March 29 last year (local time).
[Photo by Vatican AP/Yonhap News]

The church solemnly observes the seven days from Palm Sunday as Holy Week, commemorating Jesus' suffering. The Bible is read and meditated upon. In the Catholic Church, palm branches were distributed to the faithful. In Korea, where palm trees were rare, it is said that branches of thuja trees were given instead.

The Catholic Church instructs the faithful to take the palm branches home, hang them on the crucifix, and then burn them on the following year's Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. The ashes are then marked on the forehead in the shape of a cross. This cross mark on the forehead externally expresses the believers' sorrow and repentance for their sins.

Concerns about the health of Pope Francis (87) have arisen ahead of the major feast of Easter. On the 24th (local time), Pope Francis did not deliver a homily during the Palm Sunday Mass of the Lord's Passion held at St. Peter's Basilica, citing health reasons.

After receiving glasses to read from a prepared manuscript, Pope Francis expressed that he could not proceed with the homily, and it is reported that silence fell among the congregation at that moment. The homily manuscript had already been distributed to reporters, and the Vatican later stated that the homily was replaced by silence and prayer.

The Vatican explained that Pope Francis skipped the homily due to bronchitis and cold symptoms that had appeared since last month.

AP News reported that the Pope's health is being tested ahead of Holy Week, which continues until Easter on the 31st. Holy Week is recognized as the most important period in Catholicism, with a packed schedule of ceremonies. On Holy Thursday, the 28th, the Pope will visit a women's prison to perform the foot-washing ceremony, and on Friday, the 29th, he will participate in the Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. On Saturday, the 30th, the Easter Vigil Mass, a grand celebration, is scheduled.

Pope Francis has long suffered from knee pain and respiratory illnesses. Although he skipped the homily, he read prayers throughout the Mass and fervently prayed for peace at the end. After the Mass, he addressed the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, then greeted them while riding in a car around the square.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.