Filipinos observe Palm Sunday, commemorating the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem

(13 Apr 2014) Catholic worshippers in the Philippines are celebrating Palm Sunday, marking the start of the Holy Week. As part of a procession in the capital Manila, a priest blessed palm leaves - held up by people lining the streets - with holy water. Pieces of material were laid along the route to a church, where a service was held. "It is re-enacting the entry of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem where he was welcomed by the people," explained Grace Jaime, a Catholic worshipper. Another worshipper, Elmer Bautista, added: "The palm branches are waved and carried in procession to acclaim Christ as our King, to acclaim Hosanna. Hosanna means, 'come Lord, save us now.'" Palm Sunday is one of the most important dates in the calendar of the Philippines, the only predominantly Catholic country in Asia. With 75.5 (m) million members, the Philippines has the third largest number of Catholic citizens in the world after Brazil and Mexico. Palm Sunday is the sixth and the last Sunday of Lent and occurs on the Sunday before Easter. The day commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem before his crucifixion, when according to Christian tradition crowds waved palm branches. For Christians, palm branches are an icon of victory and symbolise the victory of the spirit over the flesh. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...