WEDNESDAY IN HOLY WEEK
April 19, 2000
volume 11, no. 78
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NEWS & VIEWS     Acknowledgments
Articles provided through Catholic World News and Church News at Noticias Eclesiales and International Dossiers, Daily Dispatches and Features at ZENIT International News Agency. CWN, NE and ZENIT are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provide this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.

VATICAN WITNESSES IMPRESSIVE REPRESENTATION OF PASSION
700 Actors Perform 43 Biblical Scenes

    VATICAN CITY, APR 18 (ZENIT.org).- Rome has experienced a very moving Holy Tuesday. Dozens of priests have heard confessions in all the major Basilicas: St. Peter's in the Vatican, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls, giving pilgrims from around the world, who have come to Rome for Holy Week, the possibility of receiving individual absolution. A total of 500,000 pilgrims are expected this week in the Eternal City.

    The pilgrims' Jubilee evening prayer at 7:30 p.m. broke all records in terms of attendance, perhaps because immediately afterwards, the "Sezze Process" took place in St. Peter's Square. The Procession is one of the oldest in Italy representing Christ's Passion. According to tradition, it was first organized by St. Charles of Sezze in the 17th century. Sezze is an Italian town located about one and a half hours by car from Rome.

    On Good Friday every year, the town's "Passion of Christ" association brings together 700 actors and extras dressed in period costumes to perform scenes of profound religious meaning. The procession recreates 43 Old and New Testament scenes, which are transformed into veritable "religious theater" on the streets. The Sezze Procession was last seen in Rome during the 1950 Jubilee. On that occasion it performed in the Imperial Fora. ZE00041807

          

April 19, 2000
volume 11, no. 78
NEWS & VIEWS

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