Pope Says Youth Sound Have 'Innocent Hands and Pure Hearts' at Palm Sunday Mass

FOX NEWS.COM ^ | April 01, 2007 | staff

[kellynla]

VATICAN CITY —

Pope Benedict XVI opened the Roman Catholic Church's most solemn week by urging young people during his Palm Sunday Mass to live pure, innocent lives.

This year, Holy Week also includes the second anniversary of the April 2, 2005 death of Pope John Paul II. On Monday, the Catholic Church will close one phase of its investigation into John Paul's saintliness as it keeps up the momentum to have the beloved pope beatified.

Holding an intricately woven palm frond, Benedict opened the Palm Sunday celebration by processing through the sun-filled St. Peter's Square and up the steps of the basilica. He was preceded by dozens of priests, bishops and cardinals who clutched palms and olive branches as their red vestments fluttered in the breeze.

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and is the start of the church's Holy Week, which includes the Good Friday re-enactment of Christ's crucifixion and death and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Benedict continued the tradition started by John Paul and dedicated Palm Sunday to the young, who were out in force in St. Peter's.

He told them that to follow God they should have "innocent hands and pure hearts."

"Innocent hands are hands that are not used for acts of violence," he told them. "They are hands that are not sullied by corruption and bribes."

Hearts are pure when they are not "stained by lies and hypocrisy," he said. "A heart is pure when it is estranged from the intoxication of pleasure; a heart for whom love is true and not just the passion of a moment," he said.

Benedict has an unusually busy schedule this week: In addition to the traditional Holy Week ceremonies, he will preside over a Mass on Monday afternoon in honor of John Paul

[kellynla]

ping

[betsyross1776]

It is very difficult to have a pure heart with all the tec we have today. But God works his wonders in a wonderful way. Evil gets their word out but so do we. We took that chocolate Jesus and showed how if we Christians stick together we can bring the word of God to all. We Christians can do what Our Lord said to us on the Mount.IF you have faith the size of a mustard seed and you say to the mountain move, the mountain will move! How do I know this? We have his word. Man does not live by bread alone , but by the word of God.May His words inspire us all this week and all the days of our lives.