Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Francis asked Catholics who they would be in the Passion during Palm Sunday Mass yesterday.

The Holy Father celebrated Mass in front of over 100,000 people from around the world, many waving palms and olive branches at St Peter’s Square.

During the Mass, the Pope recalled similar processions welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem before his eventual Crucifixion.

In his homily, he spoke about the characters featuring in Gospel readings that day and throughout Holy Week.

“Who am I, before Jesus Who suffers?” the Pope said. “Am I like Judas, who pretended to love, and kissed the Master to give him over, to betray him? Am I a traitor?”

In the Pope’s homily, he mentioned other players in the Passion including Pilate ‘who washed his hands of his responsibility’ to Jesus to Mary the ‘Mother of Jesus, who was there, suffering silently.’

The Pope concluded the homily by pointing out how these characters should help Catholics examine their consciences during Holy Week.

Following Holy Communion, the Pope spoke of the next World Youth Day celebrations which will take place in Krakow, Poland in 2016 and have the theme “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Krakow was the hometown of Blessed Pope John Paul II who is to be Canonised alongside Blessed Pope John XXIII on the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday.

The Pope recalled how John Paul II established World Youth Day with a special cross representing ‘Christ’s love for humanity,’ which was then passed from a delegation representing previous host city Rio to a delegation from Poland.

The Pope also spoke of his coming visit to Daejon in South Korea in August, where he is expected to meet Asian youths.