Christians celebrate Palm Sunday around the world
Palm Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week for Christians this week, commemorating Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey while welcomed by crowds waving palm branches, before his arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection.
Traditionally marked by a procession and special mass, Palm Sunday occurs on the final Sunday of Lent and is a landmark in the Roman Catholic calendar.
Thousands of believers from all over the world observed the holiday this year, as participants distributed blessed palm leaves and some even carried life-size figures showing the Passion of Christ.
Pope Francis presided at the Procession and Mass for Palm Sunday before faithful in St. Peter's Square, where he decried what he called indifference to the refugees flooding into Europe, making a comparison to authorities who washed their hands of Jesus' fate ahead of his crucifixion.
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