Pope expresses hope that Holy Week, Easter rituals deepen faith

Published: 2008-03-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI said he hoped the church's Holy Week and Easter rituals would help deepen all Catholics' conversion to Christ and their solidarity with those who suffer. At his March 19 general audience in the Vatican's Paul VI hall, the pope explained the meaning of the liturgies the church was to celebrate in the coming days. The Easter triduum lets the faithful share in the mystery of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection, he said, and represents "the heart and climax of the liturgical year as well as the life of the church." He asked the thousands of pilgrims present to use this holy period to let their lives be guided by God and to "renew our 'yes' to the divine will just as Jesus did with his sacrifice on the cross." The moving ceremonies celebrated during Holy Week and Easter "offer us an opportunity to deepen the meaning and value of our Christian vocation," said the pope.

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