Good morning and happy Good Friday 2024! For the occasionwe propose (above) a series of Images to share Today. To learn more about the meaning of the Passion, history and rites on the Friday preceding the Passion, below Easter.
It is a particularly important day for Christians who remember the Passion, Crucifixion And Death of Jesus.
Like in Ash Wednesday, believers aged 14 and over are invited to abstain from meat (eggs and dairy products are allowed), while those aged 18 to 60 are invited to observe ecclesiastical fasting, consuming only one meal, either lunch or dinner, during the day. The fast is practiced in sign Of penance for the sins of all men that Jesus came to atone for in the Passion and takes on meaning mystical Of Wait of the Groom (the Bridegroom of the Church i.e. Christ). The Eucharist is not celebrated (during the afternoon liturgical celebration of Good Friday the Eucharist consecrated the previous day is distributed, in the evening Mass in Coena Domini on Holy Thursday).
The bells do not ring as a sign of mourningwith the exception of Milan where, due to the Ambrosian rite, they ring until the announcement of the death of Christ, at 3pm. The liturgy begins in silence and is centered on the narration of the last hours of Jesus’ earthly life according to the Gospel of John and on‘Adoration of the Cross.
Easter, Happy Good Friday! The celebration of the Passion of the Lord and Adoration of the Cross
The celebration of Passion of the Lord It consists of three parts:
- Passion proclaimed (Liturgy of the Word) and Passion invoked (solemn prayers);
- Venerated Passion (Abstention and Adoration of the Cross);
- Passion communicated (Eucharistic communion, made with the bread consecrated the previous day).
L’Adoration of the Cross is perhaps the most important part: symbol of Christianity, the Cross is present in our lives from birth, in the signs of the rite of Baptism, in absolution in the Sacrament of Penance, in the blessings received and given in all our devotional and sacramental acts. It is present until the last sign traced by the priest in the Sacrament of the Sick, in the processional cross that precedes the funeral, in the cross of marble or other material placed on the tomb. The Cross is the supreme symbol of the suffering and death of Jesus, true God and true man who, with his sacrifice, redeemed us from the death of sin, showing us the true life that comes from suffering.
Good morning and Happy Good Friday! Here are the main celebrations in Italy
All of Italy celebrates Good Friday with rites, processions, re-enactments with a strong symbolic value, as well as highly suggestive. Among the main celebrations we remember: Holy Week with the pilgrimage of Forgive Taranto, in Puglia, as well as the rite of the Sacred Fire of San Marco in Lamis. In Campania processions of the Mysteries and Sacred Representations take place, according to the ancient custom left as a legacy by the Spaniards; while in Basilicata the Sacred Representation of the Via Crucis of Barile stands out, that of Venosa and the Good Friday procession of Forenza.
In Calabria, the Vattienti, members of the Company of Flagellants of Nocera Terinese, publicly torture themselves with thistle; in Sicily we remember: the hooded brotherhoods of Enna, the solemn procession of the Bands of Pietraperzia, the nocturnal procession of Trapani. In Sardinia: the evocative procession of the Dead Christ of Cagliari and the nocturnal ceremony, recalling the Passion of Christ of Iglesias.
In the Picerno area there are numerous rites linked to Good Friday, for example: the Procession of the Dead Christ of Grottazzalina, the Coffin at night in Porto Recanati, the Madonnelle of Ascoli Piceno. And again: the three hours of agony of Monsampolo del Tronto and the solemn Procession of the Dead Christ; the procession of the Dead Christ in the historic center of Offida, the Living Via Crucis of Roccafluvione, the Solemn Procession of the Dead Christ of Ripatransone. Continuing: the historic Procession of the Dead Christ of Monteprandone; the Good Friday Procession in the historic center of Sant’Elpidio a Mare; the evocative representation of the Passion of Christ by Centubuchi. In Abruzzo: the Sulmona Trunk Procession; the Procession of the Congregations of Chieti. In Umbria: the Procession of the Dead Christ of Assisi with the rite of scavigliazione; the Living Paintings of the city of Pieve; the Re-enactment of the Passion of Gualdo Tadino, the Solemn Procession of the Dead Christ of Gubbio; in Molise the Fuenti (fleeing) of Faibano, in Lazio the Roman Via Crucis and the Corsa del Cristo of Tarquinia.
In Piedmont, in Cassina, the re-enactment of the Mysteries of Good Friday takes place. Equally well known is the evening Procession of the Machines of Vercelli, the most authentic manifestations of popular faith; the Sacred Representation of Romagnano Sesia; the Sacred Representation of Bardolino, one of the most famous folklore festivals in the region. Moving to Lombardy: the nocturnal Via Crucis in Germignana, the Procession of the Sacred Vasi in Mantua; while in Friuli Venezia Giulia: the Sacred Representation of Erto, a small town in the province of Pordenone. In Liguria the rite of the Cross in reverse, turning the Crucifix towards the tail of the procession, an ancient custom that harks back to the time of the naval battles against the Turks, during which the Crucifixes adorned the prows of the ships and were turned over so that the infidels (Turks) could not see the face of Christ. In Laigueglia, in the province of Savona, on the evening of Good Friday the old custom of the Procession of the Dead Christ takes place. In Emilia Romagna, in Montefiore Conca and Verghereto, the evocative nocturnal procession, the Via Crucis, is held, with characters parading in costume.
The main celebrations in the world
The Good Friday represents the culmination of the Catholic liturgical year and in it, as is known, the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus. This day is celebrated with very suggestive rituals in many areas of the planet.
Among the main celebrations in the world we mention: in Valencia Christ is carried in procession on the beach, between bikinis and beach volleyball; in Jerusalem you can go to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher or follow the procession along the Via Dolorosa in the Old City. Very particular is the re-enactment of the Crucifixion in the city of Klaten, in Indonesia, as well as, in the Philippines, in Paombong, the penitents wear crowns of barbed wire to atone for their sins and to San Pedro Cutud the Crucifixion is real, with nails driven into the hands. In India, in Jammu, everyone kneels along the road for the Good Friday procession, while in England, in the Berwick-Upon-Tweed procession, pilgrims carry the cross on the pilgrimage to the island of Lindisparne (called “holy island” ).
We also remember the “Semana Santa” in Seville: the religious event was born in the 17th century and lasts from Palm Sunday until Easter, with solemn daily processions through the city streets, majestic statues decorated. The solemn moment is the madrugada, the procession of the most important brotherhoods, in the early hours of Good Friday.
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