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HOLY WEEK

THE RESTORED LITURGY OF HOLY WEEK

The new Order of Holy Week aims at restoring the simpler, more austere rite of the greatest days of
the Christian year. It is simplified to suit the conditions of modem life, and to serve the
spiritual needs of the faithful today. Undesirable additions that had crept into the Holy Week
liturgy during the centuries, have been largely removed, and important features that have, in
the course of time, been overshadowed, have been restored as far as possible by the Decree Maxima
Redemptionis Nostra: Mysteria, of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, 16th November, 1955.

The underlying purpose of these reforms is to lead the faithful "to a more active and fruitful
participation in the ceremonies".

Palm Sunday is now called the Second Sunday of the Passion. Originally Palm Sunday was the Passion
Sunday, since it began the real week of the Passion. What matters most in the special ceremony on
this day is the procession of the faithful bearing blessed palms, rather than the actual blessing
of the palms. This shift of emphasis is shown in the new rubrics which cut
down the blessing prayers. Ideally, all the congregation should walk in this procession and thus
demonstrate their allegiance to Christ, the Messias.

The Holy Thursday Mass, the memorial. of the Last Supper, at which the Eucharist and the Priesthood
were instituted, is in future to be sung in the evening. The rite of the Washing of Feet is
inserted in its obvious place after the Gospel recounting the moving example of brotherly love
given to us by Christ. In cathedrals there is celebrated in the morning the pontifical mass "the
Chrism Mass", at which the holy oils are consecrated by the bishop.

Mass is not celebrated on Good Friday, but Holy Communion is now to be distributed at the end of
the ceremony. This practice has been proposed to the Holy See and approved by His Holiness Pope
Pius XII.

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