Catholics gathered in Jerusalem on Friday, the first Friday of Lentto remember an event in the Bible called the 2nd Sorrowful Mystery when Jesus was crowned with thorns.
Bishop Emeritus Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo presided over the commemoration at the chapel of the Ecce Homo convent. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion and the Chemin Neuf Community manage the convent.
Marcuzzo, in his speech, underlined the responsibility of local Catholic community to commemorate the “mysteries of the Gospel where they took place,” said the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
He also highlighted a message of forgiveness, similar to that of His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who spoke on Ash Wednesday, a few days earlier, at the Pro-Cathedral of the Latin patriarchythe main or “mother” church of the diocese of Jerusalem.
“Lent is a time conducive to forgiveness, to reconciliation,” said the Patriarch.
According to Christian tradition, Jesus was crowned with thorns on the day of his crucifixion. The thorns were intended to mock him for claiming to be the “king of the Jews.” The crown was made from local thorn bushes by Roman soldiers.
History of the crown
What is believed to be this crown was kept in Jerusalem until it was moved to Constantinople in 1063. It was eventually transported to Paris, where it remains today.
There are only about 30,000 Catholics living in Israel, according to data shared by the Latin Patriarchate, not counting Russian-speaking Christians, foreign Catholic workers and Catholic refugees.
Around 187,900 Christians live in Israel, or 1.9% of the population, according to a report released in December 2023 by the Central Bureau of Statistics. The Christian population in Israel has been growing slightly for several years.
