The Cairo bulletin., 1905-04-17
HOLY WEEK TO
Be CELEBRATED
Palm Sunday Duly Observed in
the Cairo Churches
HISTORY OF HOLY DAYS
EXPLANATION FROM THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CALENDAR, WITH
ITS CEREMONIES.

Palm Sunday was observed witt
solemn masses yesterday at 81. Pat
rieks and st Jaseph's Catholic church
/ es. Special services were also held
at the Episcopal church of the Re
Gender and The Emmanuel Luther
church. in commenoration of the begin
mig of the Holy week. PalmssweSes dis
;ribnted 10 the members OF the church
es who were present at the services.
The other days of Holy week W II
be appropriately observed In local
churches.
The ceremonies Of Holy week with
t.geir significance as taught by the Ro-
man calendar are as follows:
The week beginning with Palm Sun
day Is called Holy week because Of
the holiness Of things then accom-
plished. and of the dispos ons with
which we should assis; at them. For
merly all the days of this week We're
festivals on which manual labor. bust
nass and lawsuits were forbidden, In
our own days there is no longer any
obligation TO celebrate these days by
abstaining from servile work. Never
Iheless every good Catholic VII re.
double his feryOr during the last week
Ct The holy season of Lent and plously
assist at the solemn and touching cel'
ebrations OF the church.
On Palm Sunday the church honors
the triumphant entry Of our Savior in
10 Jerusalem Before mas the palms
are blessed by the priest and disuribut
ed 10 the public. The solemn process
sion now following Is Of TIRE greatest
ant.qut ~ and has It's origin in Pales-
tine. After singing different anti
phones the procession makes a pause
before the church door which it finds
closed. The church represents 10 us
in the expressive language of her cere-
monies. the state Of the human race
before the entry of Jesus into ihe
heavenly Jerusalem. Its gatessa were
closed against man; but the angels
dweh witnin.
On Wednesday evening the OF ce OF
the Tenebrae beg ms. Tenebrae means
darkness and this office Is thus called
because towards end Of Il all lights
are distinguished 20 express the pro
fouAd mourning of he church al the
death OF her spouse.
The whole office Of the Tenehrao ex-
presses the deepest grief hut especial
~ the lam anlations of Jerefiias that
are chant4d In Notes full OF mourning
and sorrow.
On Holy Thursday only one pF esf
says holy mass ID every church, other
br eats receiving communion in the
mass. since also Jesus offered holy
trass alone the day before his death
and the apostles received holy elin'.
munIon from his hands. After mass
the blesses sacrament is carried TO
the tomb with great pomp, where il re-
mains for the special venerat On OF
the faithful till tie next day. Ia ca
thedrals aud churches Of nionasteFies
The ceremony Of the washing OF feet Is
performed m the afternoon.
On Good Friday no mass is eelebrat'
ed since Jesus on this day offered
himself In a bloody manner In which
the attraction Of all should be fixed.
The D. est having recited the last
prayers. receives the sacred hest CON
secrated tie day before This Is called
Mass Of the Presanctified because me
hos, consumed Is consecrated the pre-
v'ous day.
In a lesson read by a cleric. Moses
describes the eating of the paschal
lamb a figure Of Jesus crucifed. Al.
ter this the priest recites solemn
prayers for the pope. bishops, sacred
ministers. all the faithful, for heret cs
and schlsmatics. Jews. and Pagans.
Then follows the so-called alteration OF
the cross. Gradually unwilling the
cross the priest chants three times
Behold the wood OF the cross. And
the choir answers: Come. let as
adbre!" At these words all fall pros
trate In alteration After this the
hiaes:s. assistants and people approach
IN yenerate and kiss the cruo fix