Christians across the globe observed Palm Sunday with vibrant processions, solemn church services, and renewed appeals for peace, as this year’s celebration unfolded against a backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week, commemorates the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.

According to Christian tradition, he was welcomed by crowds waving palm branches, an enduring symbol of victory and peace.

At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV used his Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Square to deliver a strong message condemning war and violence.

Speaking to tens of thousands of worshippers gathered in the square, the pontiff emphasised that religion should never be used as a tool to justify conflict.

He described God as a “king of peace,” urging the faithful to reflect that message in a world increasingly marked by division.

He warned that prayers offered by leaders engaged in violence are incompatible with Christian teachings, referencing ongoing conflicts, including tensions involving Iran and the war in Ukraine.

“This is our God… A God who refuses war… who does not listen to the prayer of those who wage war,” he said in his Palm Sunday homily.

Speaking after the Angelus prayer, he paid tribute to “the Christians of the Middle East, who suffer the consequences of a terrible conflict and in many cases cannot fully live the rites of these holy days”.

Celebrations In Nigeria

In Nigeria, large congregations gathered in open-air services, with colourful processions, special church services, and messages centred on humility and sacrifice.

In major cities including Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, worshippers gathered in large numbers at churches early in the day, waving palm fronds and singing hymns in commemoration of the biblical account of Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.

Many churches held processions within their premises and along adjoining streets, while clergy blessed palm branches, which congregants later took home as symbols of faith.

Despite economic pressures, attendance remained high, with several churches recording full congregations and multiple services to accommodate worshippers.

For many faithful, the observance combined celebration with reflection, setting a solemn tone for the days leading to Easter.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, used the celebration to call on leaders in the country to show empathy and ease the burden of Nigerians.

The apex Christian body noted that Jesus’s entering into Jerusalem was not a show of force, but a message of peace, purpose, and hope, adding that in a tense atmosphere, the saviour chose humility, riding on a colt, not in the trappings of power.

“That choice still speaks to us today,” CAN said in a statement signed by Archbishop Daniel Okoh, its President.

“Across Nigeria, many are feeling the weight of the times. The cost of living is rising. For countless families, daily life is getting harder. Events far beyond our borders, especially tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, are unsettling global energy markets.

”The impact is already here. Fuel is more expensive,”the statement read

Tensions In Jerusalem

In Jerusalem, typically a focal point of Palm Sunday celebrations, reports indicated unusual restrictions. Authorities reportedly blocked some Christian leaders from accessing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said.

Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday mass,

“This morning, the Israeli Police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, together with the Custos of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as they made their way to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass,” a statement from the Patriarchate said.

It said the two were stopped while proceeding privately without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and had to turn back.

“As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the statement said.

“This incident is a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world, who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.”

France Condemns Israeli Action

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Israeli police for blocking the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from giving Palm Sunday mass, saying worship “for all religions” must be guaranteed in Jerusalem.

“I condemn this decision by the Israeli police”, who prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa — the top Catholic figure for Israel and the Palestinian territories — from speaking, Macron said on X.

Their action “adds to a worrying series of violations of the status of holy places in Jerusalem”, he said.

J’apporte mon plein soutien au patriarche latin de Jérusalem et aux chrétiens de Terre Sainte, empêchés de célébrer la messe des Rameaux au Saint-Sépulcre. (Channels TV)

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