"The climate has somehow cleared up. We didn’t want to attach too much importance to the Muhammad cartoons and the violence that resulted from them. We can start Lent in the right spirit of silence, prayer and fasting". These are the words of father Pierre Grech, secretary general of the Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (Celra). Forty days, in the run-up to Easter, that are enriched with "powerful ecumenical meanings". "Except for the cities of Bethlehem, Haifa and Jerusalem, where Lent begins today, in the parish churches of the Territories and Cis-Jordan, this year it will be celebrated along with the Greek Orthodox, so one week later, on March 8th. And as a consequence Easter too will be celebrated not on April 16th but on 23rd". "It is a very practical ecumenical decision explains to SIR the Secretary of Celra based on the fact that many families are mixed, with husband and wife practising different religions. By doing so, they can celebrate Easter together. The agreement also lays down that the Greek Orthodox should celebrate Christmas, with Catholics, on December 25th instead of on January 7th. An agreement between bishops, which also includes Cyprus, Jordan and Egypt. In this way, we respond to the reproach that some Jews and Muslims make us when they highlight the Christians’ inability to live the most important holidays together". As to the rites of the Holy Week, "they will be celebrated by the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, mgr. Sabbah" while every Saturday night during Lent a procession will be led to the Holy Sepulchre while saying the Vespers. On Sunday morning, still at the Sepulchre, the papal mass. From Easter Monday, the celebrations, from Emmaus, will be taken care of by the Custodianship of the Holy Land".
