H.H. Pope Tawadros II Prays Hosanna Sunday Liturgy at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Alexandria

Home
>
Church Occasions
>
H.H. Pope Tawadros II Prays Hosanna Sunday Liturgy at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Alexandria

H.H. Pope Tawadros II Prays Hosanna Sunday Liturgy at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Alexandria

April 13, 2025

This morning, H.H. Pope Tawadros II prayed the Divine Liturgy of Hosanna Sunday, popularly known as “Palm Sunday,” at St Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria.

The deacons’ choir welcomed His Holiness with palm branches and crosses as they chanted the Palm Sunday hymn of “Eflogimenos.” His Holiness then led the Palm Sunday procession inside the church, stopping before several icons, the northern and southern doors of the church, and the location of the Lakan (water basin). At each of the twelve designated stops, a passage from the Holy Gospel—appropriate to the icon or door being stopped at—was read.

Following the procession, His Holiness continued with the Divine Liturgy and delivered the sermon, in which he explained that Palm Sunday is a unique event in both history and the Church’s liturgical tradition. He noted that Christ’s entry into Jerusalem is recorded by all four Evangelists, and the occasion is further distinguished by concluding with the General Funeral Prayer.

His Holiness pointed out that one of the notable features of Palm Sunday is the use of palm branches and olive branches. He continued: “Trees hold a significant symbolic meaning in the Holy Bible. They began their journey with man in Paradise. David mentioned them in the first Psalm: ‘He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.’ (Psalm 1:3)
This journey continued as the Lord was born in a manger made of wood, which we can call ‘the encounter of love.’ During His ministry, He met Zacchaeus the tax collector, who had climbed up a sycamore tree—an event we can call ‘the encounter of repentance.’ Today, the crowds received Him with palm branches and olive boughs in what we may call ‘the encounter of joy.’ Then comes Good Friday, when the Lord was crucified on the wood of the Cross—‘the encounter of salvation.’”

From this journey with the tree, and in the joy of this feast, God sends us several messages:
1. God wants to reign over your heart in purity, peace, and humility.
2. Christ weeps over your sins, seeking your repentance and salvation.
3. Christ calls you to live in obedience to His commandments and the means of grace.

At the end of the sermon, His Holiness extended greetings to the congregation on behalf of the attending bishops and Hegumen Abraam Emil (the General Deputy of the Patriarchate in Alexandria).

Hosanna Sunday, also known as “Palm Sunday” in popular tradition, is one of the seven Major Feasts of the Lord in the Coptic Church. It immediately precedes the start of holy Pascha Week, which culminates in the Glorious Feast of the Resurrection.

After the liturgy, His Holiness led the General Funeral Prayer, in accordance with the Church’s liturgical order following the Palm Sunday Liturgy, before the commencement of the Paschal prayers.

Participating in the prayers were the general bishops overseeing the pastoral sectors of Alexandria, Hegumen Abraam Emil (the General Deputy of the Patriarchate in Alexandria), the priests of the church, and a large number of the congregation, filling the cathedral.