Millions of Christians waving palm branches gathered around the world today to celebrate Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week.
Pope Francis led a mass before pilgrims, tourists and faithful in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, just one day after being discharged from the hospital where he was being treated for bronchitis.
The service is one of the longest in the Christian calendar and can last up to two and a half hours, drawing tens of thousands of people to the holy site.
Faithful from around the world also participated in processions that commemorated the triumphant arrival of Jesus to Jerusalem.
Christians gathered in the city of Jerusalem itself at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus is traditionally believed to have been crucified and buried.
Pope Francis at Palm Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, one day after being discharged from hospital
Christians at a Palm Sunday mass at St. Anthony’s Church in Lahore, Pakistan
Filipino Catholics waving their palm branches during the Palm Sunday mass at the Antipolo Cathedral in Rizal province.
Crowds gather in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican today for Palm Sunday mass
According to the Bible, Jesus was greeted by a crowd that cheered him, waving palm branches, which they then placed on the ground to mark his path when he arrived in Jerusalem.
Palm Sunday, which celebrates this history, falls at the beginning of Holy Week, the holiest week in the Christian calendar that includes Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Pope Francis will celebrate Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday next week.
Christians at a holy mass in Jerusalem where Jesus is believed to have been crucified and buried
A woman buys palm leaves in front of a Catholic church on the eve of Palm Sunday in the city of Las Piñas, Philippines.
Catholics holding palm leaves during a Palm Sunday procession at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Hyderabad, India
Christians celebrating Palm Sunday inside the Jakarta Cathedral, Indonesia
Worshipers holding palm leaves during a Palm Sunday procession in India today
Filipino Catholics raising their palm leaves to receive blessings during a Palm Sunday mass at the Antipolo Cathedral
Members of the ‘Santos Inocentes de Caucagua’ brotherhood accompany members of ‘Los Palmeros de Chacao’ during a pilgrimage in Venezuela
The faithful in the Vatican were joined by millions of people around the world to commemorate the important date in the Christian calendar.
In India, believers held palm leaves during a Palm Sunday procession at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hyderabad.
Tens of thousands of people also gathered in Lahore, Pakistan, at St. Anthony’s Church to attend a mass.
In Jakarta, Indonesia, worshipers gathered inside the cathedral for the Palm Sunday mass.
A dog is carried by his owner as devotees bless his palm branches with holy water at the Antipolo Cathedral, Philippines.
Catholics outside a church in the city of Las Pinas, Metro Manila, Philippines today
A woman holding a palm branch during Pope Francis’ mass at the Vatican today
A member of the Palmeros de Chacao brotherhood in Venezuela with palm leaves that will be blessed before Palm Sunday
Nuns hold olive branches as Pope Francis celebrates Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
Worshipers hold palm branches before the start of Palm Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican
A man carries palms before Palm Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
Faithful before Palm Sunday mass at the Vatican today
Christians in the Philippines bought palm leaves yesterday in the town of Las Piñas in preparation for today’s services and processions.
In Venezuela, members of the brotherhoods ‘Santos Inocentes de Caucagua’ and ‘Los Palmeros de Chacao’ joined a pilgrimage yesterday in the El Ávila national park, on the outskirts of Caracas.
The daters of the Chacao palm brotherhood that dates back to the late 18th century came with tied palms to celebrate the beginning of Holy Week.
Pope Francis was discharged yesterday from the hospital where he was being treated for bronchitis.
Catholic clerics carry palm leaves during the Palm Sunday procession at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem
Faithful gather in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the Palm Sunday service
Pakistani Christians attend Palm Sunday mass at St. Anthony’s Church in Lahore
A Catholic priest blesses palm leaves during a Palm Sunday procession at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Hyderabad, India
Children in the Philippines throw flower petals to worshipers during a procession to commemorate Palm Sunday in the city of Las Piñas.
After masses, some faithful will take the palms home or others will be burned to ashes.
The burned ashes are used on Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent.