30/03/2026
In the ancient, historical Roman form of the Holy Week rites there is a beautiful ceremony that occurs on Palm Sunday wherein the procession goes outside the church and the doors to the church are closed. The door of the church is then knocked on three times with the shaft of the processional cross, (or in other churches, a decorated palm (baston) in the same size of the processional cross held by the priest is used instead). It is a powerful and moving rite which Benedict XVI spoke of accordingly:
"In the old liturgy for Palm Sunday, the priest, arriving in front of the church, would knock loudly with the shaft of the processional cross on the door that was still closed; thereupon, it would be opened. This was a beautiful image of the mystery of Jesus Christ himself who, with the wood of his Cross, with the power of his love that is given, knocked from the side of the world at God's door; on the side of a world that was not able to find access to God. With his Cross, Jesus opened God's door, the door between God and men. Now it is open."
-- Homily of Benedict XVI, Palm Sunday, 2007
